International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 08 | Aug 2024
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
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Taboo Associated with Menstruation and the bleeding deity Kamakhya Devi Dipshikha Rabha Research Scholar Dept. of Sociology University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------2. Objective of the study: Abstract - The most innate biological activity in a woman's life is undoubtedly her menstruation. In India, there are so many menstrual taboos that girls are unable to discuss serious diseases related to menstruation, which leaves them suffering in silence. However, menstruation is considered important in Tantric tradition. It is considered to be a crucial component of the ritual. Among the 51 Shakti peethas, the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati is considered to be one of the holiest sites. A significant event known as Ambubachi mela occurs during Ahaar month (June–August) in the Assamese calendar, following the first outburst of the monsoon. The door of the Kamakhya temple stays closed because it is believed that mother earth becomes impure for three days. The purpose of this study is to briefly focus on the taboos associated with menstruation in India and the mysterious legend of Kamakhya Devi, the bleeding goddess.
In this paper, here try to briefly discuss the taboos surrounding menstruation in India as well as the mysterious legend of the bleeding Goddess of Kamakhya.
3. Methodology: A secondary source of data was used in the preparation of the current research article. Information has been gathered from a range of publications, including books, essays, journals, newspapers, and websites.
4. Discussion: Stigma around menstruation is a type of misogyny. Menstrual function is viewed by negative taboos as something to be ashamed of and something to be concealed. Furthermore, we support the notion that something shouldn't be called by not giving it a name. Menstrual taboos that are unfavorable are currently being contested. It's our dread of blood, according to Freud. According to Allan Court, taboo evolved because early humans thought menstruation blood was unclean.
Key Words: Menstruation, Menstrual taboo, Taboo, Ambubachi mela and Kamakhya temple
1. INTRODUCTION The menstrual cycle is a phenomenon specific to women. But taboos and myths that keep women out of many facets of sociocultural life have always surrounded it. During menstruation, blood naturally leaves the uterus through the vagina. This is a normal aspect of the reproductive cycle. One of the telltale signs of the beginning of puberty in females, it is a normal process that starts when they are 11 or 14 years old. This has always been shrouded in mystery and myths in many countries like India, even though it is a phenomenon exclusive to girls. Women and girls are excluded from many facets of social and cultural life due to taboos around menstruation. While some of these can be beneficial, others might have negative effects. In Indian society, there is several taboo topics related to menstruation. Women who are menstruating are not allowed to touch the idol of God, perform puja, or enter temples. Ironically, however, there is a shrine in India dedicated to the menstruation Goddess Sati. Among the 52 Shaktipeeths in India, Kamakhya is one of the most prominent. It is situated in the Neelachal Hills in the western region of Guwahati.
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Professor Chris Knight is a social anthropologist at London University. His book "Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture" (1995) is the most significant work on the development of human social organization yet published. Knight addresses various cultural taboos and the underlying material related to menstruation in this book. We lack compelling evidence in contemporary societies to support Knight's theory that early people had to menstruate in time with the moon. Knight clarifies, however, that this does not negate the evolutionary significance of our cycle duration. The menstrual cycle of 29.5 days, which is equal to the length of the lunar cycle, was preferred by the human species during its evolutionary history. The reasons why the human cycle grew to coincide so closely with the lunar cycle and why the original euphemism for cyclical bleeding was associated with the moon in many cultures remain a source of disagreement among scientists. However, Knight contends that we must investigate whether there was an adaptive basis for it—that is, how and why it might have helped females in our evolutionary past—before writing it off as a coincidence.
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