I AM PROUD OF MY PERIODS!

There is a well-known notion that women or girls become impure during their monthly periods and should stay away from the consecrate temples and other holy places, even the pooja room in their homes.
When I had my first monthly periods at the age of 13, my mother advised me similarly on my ‘conduct’ during the periods. I accepted readily, for at that tender age you rarely question your parents’ wisdom, and even practised stringently. But as I grew up, I started putting this notion to my test of reason. And alas! It failed. How strange it is that an antiquated notion which has survived civilisations failed to pass my basic test of reason! After all why wasn’t it questioned before? And subsequently I realised that gender discrimination and male favouritism is so deeply rooted in our traditions dating back to the most archaic civilisations, that it takes hell lot of courage to defy these notions. And this is the sole reason why women up to our mothers’ generation have servilely bowed to such irrational ideas. But the brighter side is that in our age of globalisation, liberalisation and information, girls have started questioning the rationale behind the notion.
Periods is a simply a biological phenomenon that transforms a girl into woman. If you say girls become impure during periods and should abstain from worshiping, you are attributing impurity or shamefulness to womanhood. Because you are saying, “This is not something to be proud of. And because it is impure and dirty, so stay away from the Gods”.
The most miserable part of our society is that men have by default assumed the role to frame the code of conduct for women. It is very clear that women could never have made such traditions. Let the women themselves decide their conduct during periods and how should they worship God. After all it is their life, their periods and their Gods. Freedom is the birthright of women as it is for men.
Periods are a gender identity for women, a part of life. For me it is even a divine gift from God and not an ‘impure’ phenomenon because it dispenses a woman the potential to give birth to a life. When it is said that women should not offer prayers during periods, it is like dismantling its divine attribute. And by advocating segregation during periods we are linking it to disrespect and offensive attributes. And being a woman is not offensive. Womanhood is just a matter of pride as is manhood.
So girls, be proud of your periods and let not the age-old traditions insult your reason and subjugate you. We will decide our conduct ourselves and no one else will. Worship your God the way you want and don’t shy from visiting temples even on the very first day of your periods. After all if people have no problem worshipping Shivling, then why cant we worship our deity during periods?