It’s all मिथ्या
Busting period myths in India
People often feel hesitant while discussing menstruation-related topics. The reason for this discomfort is deeply rooted in our societal beliefs. As the cultural norms and religious taboos on menstruation are often compounded by traditional associations & misconceptions with evil spirits, shame, and embarrassment surrounding sexual reproduction. It restricts people from normalizing menstruation.
While researching for one of the academic projects- Stigma of Menstruation, our team came across a few myths about menstruation and the menstrual cycle. Here is an attempt to bust those myths and talk about the impact of such misconceptions on women’s health.
What are the myths or misconceptions around menstruation?
Though we have faced a long history of stigma around menstruation. Here are some of the examples where Indian tradition embraces the new journey of a girl child towards womanhood.
- A tradition that celebrates a girl’s journey to womanhood
Several cultures down south welcome a girl’s periods as auspicious. A huge celebration is organized when a girl reaches puberty. In the Tamil community, at first, the girl is bathed by her close family and fed a nutritious diet but in isolation. After that, she takes another bath, dresses up in the finest garb, and is showered with blessings and gifts. Relatives are invited, priests perform rituals, and delicious meals are prepared to mark the occasion.
2. Tuloni Biya Ceremony
Tuloni Biya is a tradition from Assam to celebrate the puberty of a girl child. It’s a symbolic wedding celebrated after a few days once a girl gets her first period. The celebration for Toluni Biya is almost similar to a real wedding.
It used to be a public ceremony where many rituals were involved. Assamese culture sees puberty as a flowering stage for a girl. Through this unique way of celebration, people pray for the good menstrual and sexual health of a newly menstruated girl.
3. Kamakhya: Bleeding Goddess ‘Shakti’
Located on the Nilachal Hill in the capital city of Guwahati, the deity of the temple, Kamakhya Devi is revered as the ‘Bleeding Goddess’. It is believed that the ‘Garvagriha‘ or the sanctum sanctorum of the temple houses the mythical womb and vagina of the Hindu goddess Shakti.
Curiously enough, every year during the month of Ashaad (June), the Brahmaputra river near Kamakhya turns red. It is believed that the goddess ‘menstruates’ during this period.
In a country that continues its archaic attitude towards menstruation as unholy and gruesome, each one of us needs to know the progressive approach that the Kamakhya temple displays -to celebrate womanhood. While there is no image of Shakti in the temple complex, it is Yoni or the female genitalia of the goddess located in the corner of the cave in the temple that is the object of reverence.
Impact of myths related to menstruation on women’s health
- The taboos about menstruation present in many societies impact girls’ and women’s emotional state, mentality and lifestyle, and most importantly, health.
- Many girls and women are subject to restrictions in their daily lives simply because they are menstruating.
- The monthly menstruation period also creates obstacles for female teachers. Thus, the gender — unfriendly school culture and infrastructure and the lack of adequate menstrual protection alternatives and/or clean, safe, and private sanitation facilities for female teachers and girls undermine the right to privacy.
- Poor protection and inadequate washing facilities may increases susceptibility to infection, with the odor of menstrual blood putting girls at risk of being stigmatized. The latter may have significant implications for their mental health.
- The challenge, of addressing the socio-cultural taboos and beliefs about menstruation, is further compounded by the fact the girls’ knowledge levels and understandings of puberty, menstruation, and reproductive health are very low.
People tend to rely on such myths which causes a lack of knowledge about menstruation as well as menstrual health, which has affected numerous lives adversely. It’s a high time we must bust these myths by looking beyond our religious and cultural norms to normalize conversations around this topic.
