Periods can bring physical discomfort and taboo in many cultures, but there are rituals in India that celebrate and honour a woman’s menstrual cycle. On the one hand, while we continue to fight the shame associated with menstruation, these communities have their own unique way of reframing the cultural significance of having a period. Menstruation rituals may vary dramatically from one region or culture to another. In a traditional Assamese Hindu home, a girl’s first period is celebrated as ‘Tuloni Biya.’ ‘Ritu Kala Samskaram’ is a ceremony performed in the South Indian Hindu tradition after a girl’s first menstruation. Then there are menstruation festivals, such as Ambubachi Mela in Assam and Raja Sankranti in Odisha, where people gather for a sacred devotion to the goddesses, honouring women’s menstrual cycle. What is Menstruation? The ABC's of Menstrual Hygiene; Everything You Need To Know About Aunt Flo. 

A girl’s first menstruation is referred to as menarche. It is a matter of great significance as the first period marks a young girl’s transition into womanhood. While a puberty ceremony is often celebrated as a sign that they can now marry, reinforcing a patriarchal view of womanhood, at the same time, these rituals are seen as empowering for a country to talk about periods openly amid the hush-hush norms associated with it. Let’s take a detailed look at the sacred rituals of menstruation festivals and puberty ceremonies in India.

Tuloni Biya

Also known as ‘Xoru Biya,’ Tuloni Biya, which translates to ‘small wedding’ is celebrated by the Assamese Hindus. The girl is confined to a specific room for the initial days of menstruation. The ceremony is typically held seven days after the girl’s first menstruation. Invitations are sent to families and friends to attend the wedding reception. A religious ceremony is performed to invoke the blessings of the gods, and the girl is married to a banana tree at a mock wedding.

Ritu Kala Samskaram

Ritu Kala Samskaram is the coming-of-age ceremony celebrating menarche in the South Indian Hindu tradition. Also known as, ‘Ritushuddhi,’ it is observed by her family and friends, with gifts and her wearing a saree for the ritual. In modern times, it is marked as a ‘half-saree party’ or ‘half-saree’ function, where the female girl wears a half-saree and continues to do so, until her marriage when she puts on a fully-draped saree.

Manjal Neerattu Vizha

Manjal Neerattu Vizha is a three-day menstrual festival in Tamil Nadu. The celebration is carried out with much fanfare, and the girl undergoes ritual bathing and many other local customs, including a turmeric bathing ceremony. Friends and family members gather for the occasion and shower the girl with gifts and blessings.

Peddamanishi Pandaga

Peddamanishi Pandaga is celebrated in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The grand ceremony is observed on the first, fifth and the last day of the periods. On the first day, ‘Mangal Snan’ is held where five women in the family, excluding the girl’s mother, bathe her. On the last day, sandalwood paste is applied to her and as the menstruation is over, a huge celebration is marked as Peddamanishi Pandaga.

Ambubachi Mela

For four days amid the monsoon season, Kamakhya temple closes its doors in Assam. It is believed that the goddess Kamakhya undergoes menstruation during these four days. Hence, the temple is closed as a sign of respect. As the devotees wait patiently for the temple doors to open, they celebrate Ambubachi Mela. There is no idol of the presiding deity, and she is worshipped in the form of a yoni-like stone that symbolises the reproductive organ of the goddess. Once the temple doors reopen, the devotees receive wet cloths as ‘prasad’ meant to represent the goddess’ menstrual fluid.

Raja Sankranti

Raja Sankranti, also known as Mithuna Sankranti, is a three-day-long festival of womanhood in Odisha. The three days are considered to be the menstruating period of Mother Earth. During this time, all agricultural activities are suspended as a mark of respect towards Mother Earth. Women don traditional ensembles, play by the swings decorated beautifully and also engage in impromptu singing and dancing.

Despite what women are conditioned to believe, these sacred rituals and festivals are marked in honour of menstruation, but more so, with the lense of patriarchy. While puberty ceremonies recognise the menstrual cycle, rituals such as alienating young girls during the first bleed before the celebration reinforces the sexist mindsets on which the practises are established. As much as we honour womanhood through these traditions, open discussion on periods must be encouraged in society to eliminate the social stigma and create awareness around menstrual health and hygiene.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2024 01:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).