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Celebration of the very essence of feminity......
The world believes menstruation 🩸 🩸 as a tabboo subject to not be talked about, but, do you all know, just because of this unsound mind's traces, around roughly 120 million menstruating adolescents in only in India (leave the whole world) experience menstrual dysfunctions, affecting their normal daily chores. Poor menstrual hygiene which leads to infections and increases the risk of cervical cancer (the fifth leading cause of death for women worldwide). According to swachhindia.ndtv.com, two-thirds of the nearly 60,000 cervical cancer deaths reported in India each year are due to poor menstrual hygiene.
Today, I'm gonna show you all, how much broad minded we Indians were 5000 years ago through the two Indian festivals which celebrates this divine foundation of feminity. Let's begin from the first one.
Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, located in Chengannur, Kerala, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Bhadrakali, an incarnation of Sati or Parvati and Goddess of the state. It is famous throughout the country for celebrating the menstruation festival in which the temple remains closed for three day. The story lies in the walls of Chengannur Mahadeva Temple. According to the local folklore, people believe when Lord Shiva was roaming around the Earth carrying the body of Sati, a part of her fell at the site of the temple. One day, when the priest was cleaning the idol, he noticed stains of blood, and when he confirmed with the senior woman in his family, she confirmed that the Goddess was bleeding. Since then, the town has had a ritual of closing the temple for three days and moving the idol to another part of the temple. On the fourth day, a procession is carried out in which the idol of the Goddess is carried on an elephant, and musicians accompany for a ritual bath to the Mithra River. Such is our traditions guys.
Another example is the Ambubachi Mela—festival at the Kamakhya Temple (Bleeding Goddess) in Assam, India that celebrates the annual menstruation cycle of the goddess Kamakhya,and is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Kali, who was the reincarnation of Goddess Parvati; Kamakhya Devi bleeds for three days. The festival takes place during the seventh to tenth day of the Hindu month of Asadha, usually in June. During the days, temple doors are closed, daily worship is suspended, and other restrictions are put in place. For example, agricultural work is forbidden, and widows, Brahmins, and Brahmacharis avoid cooked food so that the land through ploughing do not has to make efforts for food production during periods. It's also believed that the natural flow of water turns red for four days during the festival. The temple remains closed for those days, and pilgrims from around the country visit the annual festival organised on the premises. People believe that the Goddess gets her periods annually during monsoons. Another elephant with Lord Shiva’s idol waits in front of the temple for Goddess Parvati to arrive after her bath. A grand ceremony takes place in which the two idols are placed in the temple again, and the devotees offer prayers to the stained dress of the Goddess. Times Now regarded it as
“Kamakhya Temple Assam: The Legend of Maa Kamakhya, The Bleeding Goddess, and Embodiment of Divine Feminine Power and Fertility”
In many parts of the country, when a girl gets her first period, there is a huge celebration as a new beginning of fertility I'm girl's life and it's believed that girls during 5-6 days in the incarnation of goddess herself. It all seems so beautiful and grand. All this makes a girl proud of her feminity, her uniqueness and relevance of creating a new life within her.
But only because of some unconscious minds, it has become such a tabboo. Girls feel humiliated, devoid of basic hygienic facilities in some places, an untouchable, a curse....the list goes on. There is no awareness among people for this because it has been made a hsshhhhh topic. A few months back I heard a news that a 16 years old brother killed his own 12 years old sister because he came to know that her sister is bleeding from uterus. He thought she is engaged in a sexual relationship and brutly killed her with his beating. Imagine a 16 year old boys knows that during first sexual intercourse with broken hynna a girl bleeds, but is unaware that a 12 year old girl can also get her first period...... IT'S SHCH A SHAME on what has been taught to us by our ancestors who were more open minded and farsighted than today we ever could be.
WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?
'IT' has the same red colour which one admires being dyed on hands
The same which is considered an auspicious vermilion over a brides forehead
The same perfect red as a brides wedding outfit
The same RED which comes out when any LIVING gets hurt;
Everyone shows positive concern
The same RED as a heart
The same RED as love feels
But the same red is UNHOLY and DISGUSTING sometimes
Even in acquaintance with more pain
Our SOCIETY considering it a SHAME.
CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHY?
© Ritu
Today, I'm gonna show you all, how much broad minded we Indians were 5000 years ago through the two Indian festivals which celebrates this divine foundation of feminity. Let's begin from the first one.
Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, located in Chengannur, Kerala, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Bhadrakali, an incarnation of Sati or Parvati and Goddess of the state. It is famous throughout the country for celebrating the menstruation festival in which the temple remains closed for three day. The story lies in the walls of Chengannur Mahadeva Temple. According to the local folklore, people believe when Lord Shiva was roaming around the Earth carrying the body of Sati, a part of her fell at the site of the temple. One day, when the priest was cleaning the idol, he noticed stains of blood, and when he confirmed with the senior woman in his family, she confirmed that the Goddess was bleeding. Since then, the town has had a ritual of closing the temple for three days and moving the idol to another part of the temple. On the fourth day, a procession is carried out in which the idol of the Goddess is carried on an elephant, and musicians accompany for a ritual bath to the Mithra River. Such is our traditions guys.
Another example is the Ambubachi Mela—festival at the Kamakhya Temple (Bleeding Goddess) in Assam, India that celebrates the annual menstruation cycle of the goddess Kamakhya,and is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Kali, who was the reincarnation of Goddess Parvati; Kamakhya Devi bleeds for three days. The festival takes place during the seventh to tenth day of the Hindu month of Asadha, usually in June. During the days, temple doors are closed, daily worship is suspended, and other restrictions are put in place. For example, agricultural work is forbidden, and widows, Brahmins, and Brahmacharis avoid cooked food so that the land through ploughing do not has to make efforts for food production during periods. It's also believed that the natural flow of water turns red for four days during the festival. The temple remains closed for those days, and pilgrims from around the country visit the annual festival organised on the premises. People believe that the Goddess gets her periods annually during monsoons. Another elephant with Lord Shiva’s idol waits in front of the temple for Goddess Parvati to arrive after her bath. A grand ceremony takes place in which the two idols are placed in the temple again, and the devotees offer prayers to the stained dress of the Goddess. Times Now regarded it as
“Kamakhya Temple Assam: The Legend of Maa Kamakhya, The Bleeding Goddess, and Embodiment of Divine Feminine Power and Fertility”
In many parts of the country, when a girl gets her first period, there is a huge celebration as a new beginning of fertility I'm girl's life and it's believed that girls during 5-6 days in the incarnation of goddess herself. It all seems so beautiful and grand. All this makes a girl proud of her feminity, her uniqueness and relevance of creating a new life within her.
But only because of some unconscious minds, it has become such a tabboo. Girls feel humiliated, devoid of basic hygienic facilities in some places, an untouchable, a curse....the list goes on. There is no awareness among people for this because it has been made a hsshhhhh topic. A few months back I heard a news that a 16 years old brother killed his own 12 years old sister because he came to know that her sister is bleeding from uterus. He thought she is engaged in a sexual relationship and brutly killed her with his beating. Imagine a 16 year old boys knows that during first sexual intercourse with broken hynna a girl bleeds, but is unaware that a 12 year old girl can also get her first period...... IT'S SHCH A SHAME on what has been taught to us by our ancestors who were more open minded and farsighted than today we ever could be.
WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?
'IT' has the same red colour which one admires being dyed on hands
The same which is considered an auspicious vermilion over a brides forehead
The same perfect red as a brides wedding outfit
The same RED which comes out when any LIVING gets hurt;
Everyone shows positive concern
The same RED as a heart
The same RED as love feels
But the same red is UNHOLY and DISGUSTING sometimes
Even in acquaintance with more pain
Our SOCIETY considering it a SHAME.
CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHY?
© Ritu
