The Foreign Self: Part XIV to XVI-B - Page 7

Originally posted by: armana

Hi guys,
I just got a pm, which i feel very compelled to share with you all. I am going to keep the sender's identity anonymous, since i haven't asked her if i can post it.


Sent by : .......
Sent : 25 March 2007 at 1:38pm

i am sorry, so i thought to write to u in a pm... when we have periods we are not supposed to enter the pooja room or temples right? hope didn't cross u... but if u r not new to this religious side, we don't do any pooja or go near the pooja room if we are having periods for minimum 7 days or still it stopped...

wonderful as always... and as all other writings of yours ..

xyz.

My Reply:

"dear xyz,
I am a very orthodox, practising Hindu.

But here is the thing: God made me a woman. He gave me a uterus. And for him to turn around and tell me that i am 'impure' when my uterus performs it's assigned function, reeks of hypocrisy.
And for the record, this is what my family guru had to say when i asked him about this: For god your sex does not matter, the soul does, and that is sexless. This cordoning off of women during periods is a social custom, designed primarily to give women a much needed physical break when their bodies need it. There is no religious ruling on it, simply an out. If during those days you are feeling unwell you can happily skip observing religious rituals. It is upto you to what degree you wish to impose it upon yourself.
dear xyz, perhaps it's time you realised that a lot of what passes for hinduism are merely social customs, which have been very effectively manipulated by patriarchy over the centuries to control and subjugate women.
So, I and my Bani will continue going to the temple, doing puja, even keep navratri fasts when we have our periods.
Take care
Armana"

So, what do you people think about this?
Do please, take the time to reply.
Armana

totally agree with wht u wrote armana... ppl need to change their way of thinking.. but i am sure it will take time for them to do soo.. but on the peroids issue i fully agree with ur POV as my are same as well

Originally posted by: divan

Discussion on period/religious views has become a great teaching/learning topic. Just want to say that like breathing, sweating, peeing etc are bodily functions created to remove waste from our bodies. We do those everyday but that does not stop us from doing puja, praying etc. What one does in one's own home should not be imposed on someone else if they do not hold that belief. i believe in the South of India in some places when the girl starts her period they do a big celebration and their was an interesting movies shown at a film festival few years back called Maya with regards to this.

yes i agree with u.. in south india when a girl start her period ppl indeed do a very big functiion for tt girl just like she is getting married...trust me i know about it as i have see them myself when i visit native place which happened to be one part of the south india... But personal i think ppl should stop doing this type of function it is so embarrassing for the girl as most of the time she is very very young say around 12 - 13 years of age.... In the function a girl is make to sit in the chair all dress up as bride for 11 days..(i am nt very sure of days here but it is idently more then 9 days for sure if any one know about the excact days can u pls let me knoe) and ppl will came give to their bless...

PS: sorry if i have offend any one this is this my POV...

Armana darling,

First with comments on the update.😃 Lovely and wonderful as always.👏

Loved the way you described the history of the house, and loved the names "Love Folly" and then "Janat. Aww...our Jai is so confused as he is subconsiously accepted her as a part of his life, like his ready acceptance of her doing pooja in the house, letting her order Tony for dinner and such, and consiously the is confused by her answers which are not like he want s them but are - am I making any sense - for example her not forcing or asking him for marriage though same to his wants as he does not want to be married but also wnating her to ask or hint at wanting to marry him.😃

Cant wait to read when realization strikes him to his true feelings for her, thast hes falling in love and that she is his Angel from the past.😃

**********************************************************

Now to the lovely discusion that was going on about doing Pooja when in periods.

I really think its ones personal choice. I have a pooja place in my hall, no curtains or separate room or partion or screen or divider to avoid the shadow of anyones presense be that person in periods or not.

Where as my in-laws are of the old schoool who follow things without questioning the reason behind it. There I cannot go to the Pooja room at all when in periods so respect their belief but no one can stop me from praying can they and no idol or a specific room needed to do that.

God I beleive is every where and in ones heart too so why restrict oneself from just the pooja room or mandir etc. But then old habits die hard and so do old Tabbos.

My in-laws even close the pooja room after child birth for 40 days which I find so...backwards, preplexing..but on even calling the mahraj/pundit who my FIL called for every occassion and asking him about such and getting the answer my FIL still did not change his views nor did any of the othter woman in the house, be they my SIL (hubby sister and bhabis).And when I voice my they think I am being....rude, disrespectful, thus do as they do when there.

So I leave them to their point of view and I do my thing.

Love

Krishna

And the last line was about her sister and her playing board games.

Originally posted by: armana

My Reply:

"dear xyz,
I am a very orthodox, practising Hindu.

But here is the thing: God made me a woman. He gave me a uterus. And for him to turn around and tell me that i am 'impure' when my uterus performs it's assigned function, reeks of hypocrisy.
And for the record, this is what my family guru had to say when i asked him about this: For god your sex does not matter, the soul does, and that is sexless. This cordoning off of women during periods is a social custom, designed primarily to give women a much needed physical break when their bodies need it. There is no religious ruling on it, simply an out. If during those days you are feeling unwell you can happily skip observing religious rituals. It is upto you to what degree you wish to impose it upon yourself.
dear xyz, perhaps it's time you realised that a lot of what passes for hinduism are merely social customs, which have been very effectively manipulated by patriarchy over the centuries to control and subjugate women.
So, I and my Bani will continue going to the temple, doing puja, even keep navratri fasts when we have our periods.
Take care
Armana"

So, what do you people think about this?
Do please, take the time to reply.
Armana

I agree with you completely. I am a devout Hindu too and have followed the custom of not entering the pooja room for three days because I really do feel pretty lousy during those days.God has not said anything but it is man who makes up these rules. It is so unfortunate that man has misinterpreted our Hindu scriptures to form what suits him. I beleive in the philosophy that a person's relationship with God is that person's private affair. There is no need for anyone to interfere in that.