Periods mark a new phase in a girl’s life, girl is transitioning into a woman. In various regions of India, people perform some Menstrual Rituals and celebrate it with great joy and love.
I personally like this concept because it fosters awareness and encourages a supportive network of family and friends around the girl.
Celebration of periods in India is a powerful way to break down the taboos and stigmas that often surround menstruation.
Below is how some regions in India recognize this as a rite of passage:
Maharashtra:
Once, my house help requested a day off. When I inquired about the reason, she explained, “mere bete ki ladki badi ho gayi hai” (my son’s daughter has reached puberty). She described how they commemorate the occasion within the immediate family, dressing the girl in a saree and presenting her with gifts from relatives. Although not all families in Maharashtra observe menarche, a select few do.
Kerala:
This ceremony is called Thirandukalyanam in Kerala. Community believes the ceremony is equivalent to home coming of Bhagvati. Girls are dressed in traditional attires, given a coconut massage followed by cleansing with Vaka flowers.
Girls receive gifts like gold, sarees from family and close relatives and they pray for her prosperity.
Karnataka:
In Karnataka, Menarche is celebrated with lot of fun and frolic and is called Ritu Shuddhi or Ritu Kala Sanskar. This occasion signifies a girl stepping into womanhood and is often marked with great enthusiasm.
As part of the tradition, the girl is draped in a half-saree, symbolizing her transition to adulthood. She continues to wear a half-saree until she gets married and graduates to wearing a full saree.
Andhra Pradesh:
In Andhra Pradesh, Peddamanishi Pandaga is the ceremony celebrated when the woman gets her first periods. Girl is decked up in saree and gold ornaments.
This ritual is held on the first, fifth, and final days of the periods.
On the first day, ‘Mangal Snan’ is performed, in which the girl is bathed by five women (except her mother).
The girl is placed in a designated room and is advised to stay within its confines. On the final day, sandalwood paste is gently applied to the young woman.
Tamil Nadu:
A celebration named “Manjal Niratu Visa” is held in Tamil Nadu to announce the girl’s first cycles, very similar to Andhra ceremony. Girl’s uncle constructs a hut out of mango, coconut and neem leaves.
Girl is given a turmeric bath and confined to this hut for 7 days. She is draped in a silk saree and adorned with jewellery. “Punya Dhanan” concludes the ceremony. Uncle’s hut is dismantled and the house is purified by the priest.
Assam:
In Assam, first menstruation cycle is called “Tuloni Biya”. Biya means “Marriage”. There are grand celebrations where girl is married to a Banana Tree. She is secluded for 7 days and is not supposed to see the Sun, the Moon and the stars during this time.
Odisha:
In Odisha, the festival is called as Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti, a four-day festival wherein a girl’s first step into womanhood is celebrated.
As per their belief, Goddess Earth goes through menstruation on the first three days of the festival.
The festival begins with Pahili Raja, followed by Mithuna Sankranti on the second day, which signifies the onset of the rainy season. The third day is celebrated as Basi Raja, and the final day, the fourth, is called Vasumati Snana.
On the fourth day, girl is taken to the grinding stone for a special bathing ritual with turmeric paste. The festival concludes with the ceremonial bath of Bhudevi, or Mother Earth, a symbolic act that pays homage to the nurturing qualities of the earth.
Conclusion
In summary, I feel that these ceremonies should be kept alive and should be utilized as a means to break the taboos and stigmas around Menstruation.
