I have been working around menstrual hygiene and rights since childhood. I have very long and interesting stories on how and why I engaged. I have identified various forms of restrictions,myths, misconceptions though like to share here. Hope you will like this.
1.
The menstrual blood was mixed in the Bhang (The
special food of god Mahadev) for god Mahadev
2.
The women who owned bar house must have period,
if the men would get sick after having drinking in women's own bar
3.
The menstrual women must have taken bath in the
upper side of the river if the boys would get sick
4.
The cows/buffalos would get sick if the
cows/buffalos touch by menstrual women
5.
The cows/buffalos would get sick if the milk and
milk products of cows/buffalo's drink by menstrual women
6.
The god would get angry and something wrong at
house if the menstrual girl/women eat the food which is offering to god
7.
Rice shouldn't eat during period
8.
Menstrual girls/women shouldn't eat any meat and
meat products
9.
Menstrual girl/women would hot if they will eat
the pickle
10.
The pickle would get spoiled if the menstrual
girls/women touch the pot of pickle
11.
Menstrual girls/women should not eat any citrus
food because they will bleed more
12.
Menstrual girls/women should not see at first
for 21, 14, 7 days means for first three times
13.
Menstrual girls/women should not touch to their
father, brothers, grandparents and any male members, otherwise they would get
sick and shorten the life span of them
14.
The menstrual girls/women should not touch with
the people who use janai ( a holy thread wearing after special ritual among few
caste)
15.
Menstrual girls/women should not touch any
books/religious books because they considered the part of goddess of wisdom
16.
Menstrual girls/women should not touch priest
and faith healers because they would get shake due to upset of god having
within them
17.
Menstrual girls/women should touch the foundation
of the house, temple because the god would get angry and make something wrong
at family
18.
Menstrual girl/women should not touch school
because of residence of goddess of wisdom
19.
Menstrual girl/women should not touch plant of
fruits and vegetables because they get dry and spoiled
20.
Menstrual girls/women shouldn't touch the plant
of flower because god would get angry as well as the tree would get dry and
finally dead.
21.
Menstrual girls/women not allow to enter in to
the home because the family god will get angry
22.
Menstrual girls/women not allow to enter worship
room because they are impure during period
23.
Menstrual girls/women not allow to touch cows
because they considered the goddess of Laxmi (wealth)
24.
The menstrual girl/women shouldn't touch to the
public tap and common river by considering the impurity as well as possible
cause of dry
25.
The menstrual girl/women should not touch to
pregnant women and children below five years because they might get sick or
something wrong on them
26.
Menstrual girls/women not allow to join any
social meetings because they make impure to others
27.
Menstrual girls/women not allow to join any
cultural programs because they are impure, polluted then make something wrong
28.
Menstrual girls/ women should stay at outside of
the house for prevention of badness at family and family members
29.
Menstrual girls should not speak with boys
because they would have babies
30.
Menstrual girls/women should not use nail
police, cream because they would get hot
31.
Menstrual girls/women could not buy the sanitary
pad if the shopkeeper is men
32.
Girls/women asked to pack in unseen or papers or
black plastics due to shyness to show the sanitary pad
33.
Sanitary cloths should hide at home for
prevention from ghosts and witchcraft
34.
Sanitary cloths should dry under the shadow or
dark place or not direct sun because the ghosts and bad men attracted
35.
The menstrual girls shouldn't see the roof of
house because the god would get angry
36.
The menstrual girls shouldn't see the sun
because sun is the form of god
37.
The sanitary cloths or pads shouldn't burn
because the blood is living thing and burning is badness
38.
The sanitary pads shouldn't throw in the dig or
anywhere because the ghosts attack the girl, blood attract ghosts
39.
The used utensils, clothes should wash by the
third day of period and wash or Potne at the same day. The materials which are
not able to wash e.g. wooden bed, or metal or sheep wool blanket, should sprinkle
by gold water (the any gold item touch to some amount of water for purification
called sunpani chharkane)
40.
Rishipanchami is the purification ritual and
festival for women who menstruate throughout the year. The private part should
clean by the red mud at the bank of river and the teetch should brush by
branches of bush tress called dattiwan. There are many steps to clean and
worship where the girls who have first menstruation, they also have to go
through with special procedure called ghaito puja
(These practices are vary from place to place, caste to
caste. This list is still simple and I do not mention all micro details.)
