Thursday 6 June 2019

Why are Women Not Allowed into Temples During Menstruation ?


Is it taboo for a bleeding women to enter a place of worship ?

Definitely
not.

However,in this culture,women generally had some of their activities restricted during their menses - not by force.

There are reasons to this.Unfortunately,this aspect has not been understood or cognised deep enough,leading to various misconceptions.

The Red Spectrum

 One reason to the apparent taboo :

Many physiological changes happen during the cycle.Hence,such days were like a holiday to women.They took rest and had their activities restricted,to avoid discomfort.Among the activities,temple visits were inclusive.



 Otherwise,no women was prohibited from connecting with the divine at any situation.

 Reason 2 :



If you notice,Shiva temples always house a tamarind tree.Not today perhaps,but in ancient temples,this was the trend.A tamarind tree is said to be a clubhouse for unseen beings - spirits and their variants.In our culture,we identified the entire universe as family.We are all ultimately the same consciousness functioning through different forms and bodies.

The tamarind tree serves as a platform for these beings to be in the grace of the divine within the temple compound.

Should a bleeding lady enter the temple compound,she may be susceptible to the influence of these beings,which may not be favourable.Hence,they were generally not advised to venture out of their homes during their cycle.



  Reason 3 :

Wild animals can sniff out blood odour easily.In ancient times,outdoor meant exposure to wildlife.Predators were everywhere.A menstruating woman is under high risk should she leave the house.This was another reason why they generally stayed indoors.

In a nutshell

The social norms and lifestyle differed in the past.Such regulations were constructed for a purpose.

Otherwise,menstruation was never seen as something impure or taboo in this culture.

There could be more reasons than the ones listed but essentially,they correspond to the same nucleus - the insight is the same.




5 comments:

  1. Menstrual blood produces negative energy that can neutralize the positive energy produced during the temple rituals. This is the main reason why women going thru menstrual period are not allowed to enter the temple. When the energy in the temple and its idols its called "Theettu". Its also can happen when someone touches the "Moorthi" in the "sanctom santorum"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Menstrual blood does not produce negative energy - and a temple's energy is not that feeble to be disrupted.

      Delete
  2. Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I'm pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include. tuljabhavani

    ReplyDelete