How are periods viewed within Hinduism?

Interview with Avni Chang

Disclaimer: These interviews were originally published in May 2021.

We sat down with Avni Chang, a Hindu studies scholar, to speak about how menstruation is written within Hinduism.

Ricebox Studio: How is menstruation written about within Hinduism?

Avni Chang: When it comes to Hinduism, there’s so much diversity so I cannot speak for every single tradition and belief. There is no blanket ‘Hindu’ view, teaching or tradition. Many Hindus believe one of two things: that a menstruating woman is either so pure that she takes on the form of a living goddess during her time of the month and can redirect the energy of an idol in a temple, or that the menstruating woman is impure and her body is undergoing a period of drastic change and detoxification. Attitudes surrounding menstruation in general have less to do with a single, time-honoured religious principle and more to do with a kind of ‘handed-down’ tradition that their families or close circles are keepers of. In this view and in practice taboo ideas around menstruation are more cultural than they are religious. This is why you will find rules or prescriptions in dharma texts – texts that lay out rules and duties that tend to paint more of a picture of the time in which they were written – a time that had different technologies of self-sanitation, health, etc. Today, things are different.

If girls choose to follow traditions from their mothers or grandmothers it’s a matter of personal choice.

RS: What activities are women exempt or forbidden from during menstruation?

AC: The way that menstruation is talked about is so diverse. One idea around it is self-purification (tapas) for the woman – something that only a woman has the privilege of experiencing and therefore she doesn’t need to partake in devotional rites. A lot of that is based on the different states and energies of the mind. When she’s experiencing this kind of self-purification, she is kind of resetting her physical and mental wellbeing. The Manu Smrti, one of the oldest well-known texts on dharma, specifically states that the woman whose thoughts have become impure would be purified by menstruation (5.108). In order for the woman to undergo self-purification she is ‘restricted’ or does not need to do certain day-to-day activities. This might be typically viewed as segregation. However, the Hindu texts say something else – the idea of menstruation is an act of tapas, which when performed by anyone (male or female), is performed in solitude.

Perhaps this is why when I would go to India, people would tell me ‘Oh, you’re on raja (holiday).’ I would be exempt from having to do anything.

RS: What are some examples of restrictions within the Hindu texts?

AC: Depending on what view we consider – whether menstruation is a period of impurity due to a rise in a certain mental energy, or whether menstruation is a period of austerity, or self-purification – the restrictions and prescriptions (some more positive than ‘oppressive’) are different. For example, certain dharma texts ask the menstruating woman not to perform any sacred (religious) activities like morning rituals, large scale rituals, visiting temples, etc. Others ask women not to cook food as her mental energies will be transferred into the food.

Others even go to specifically restrict women from touching certain metals due to how her energies may react when coming into contact with these metals. On the other side of the coin, certain dharma texts also ask the menstruating woman to rest and not physically exert themselves. When we read such texts we may see the prescriptions given to women as ‘oppressive’, but these are no different to the prescriptions given to people who have just experienced a death in the family or given birth, etc. The idea is that you shouldn’t be involved in religious rituals as they expect you to be calm and collected when you perform them.

RS: Can women pray the same way during their period?

AC: A hundred years ago, the narrative would be different, but now if you go to certain temples, there are sanitary bins and tampon [vending] machines which makes it quite obvious that everyone’s welcome.

RS: How is menstruation viewed? And how is menstrual blood viewed specifically?

AC: I would say it’s seen as natural in some cases it is considered pure and sacred, and even plays an important role in Tantric rites and rituals.It feels strange to be away from the frontlines when that’s where I usually am, but I always focus on the safety of contributors and this time its also the safety of the general public so having my contributors self-record their shift changes brings another interesting dynamic to what this film will become. I’m also doing a lot of virtual public speaking and hosting screenings. If you’d like to host a screening of WOMENstruate, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

RS: What would you say to women who feel ashamed of menstrual leakage in religious settings or when praying in a temple?

AC: I think we would all be embarrassed if something like that happened to us. I don’t think the embarrassment would have anything to do with religious thinking or settings specifically.

RS: Why do you think menstruation is seen as a taboo topic to speak about when almost half the population will experience it at some point in their life?

AC: I think it’s based on tradition. We’re being brought up in a household in which these things have been practised for so long and you will ask questions as to why, and won’t get answers until you start exploring for yourself. It’s the way it’s always been, isn’t it? I don’t think it’s a specific religious or cultural issue. I think it’s a worldwide issue.

RS: Can you speak more about the traditions in Hindu culture when a girl does start her period.

AC: Like in many other religions/faiths, it is a matter of personal choice. The guidance is for them to rest for the first three days of the menstruation to allow that much needed rest from their physical chores and it was also hoped that at this delicate time the menstruating girl would get the co-operation of her family.

Speaking specifically, in certain parts of India, young girls who have just started menstruating are dressed up, adorned, gifted and fed and the idea is that the goddess is now coming into her form. The celebration is also tied to self-purification – only the woman is able to go through this monthly detoxification because she’s more eternally pure. What men may have to put special effort into comes as part of a natural process to women.

In other parts of India certain cultures hold mass festivals and celebrations. Other ideas revolve round ‘loss of life’. When someone dies the family goes through a period of grievance. It is a period in which they find a way to cope with their loss. If menstruation is viewed in this same light the unfertilised egg may be equated to the prevented birth of a soul. The woman’s body naturally takes time to grieve this loss.

These are only some beliefs and associated views. There is not one specific blanket Hindu worldview.

RS: Given that menstruation is such a big part of a girl’s and woman’s life, are there any interpretations of menstruation within Hindu scriptures?

AC: Not that I know of. But we are translating Sanskrit into English, so you have terms like ‘coming of age’ or ‘she’s now a woman’ that might get lost in translation.

RS: Do you think cultural views about menstruation are changing in different countries?

AC: I think it is in places that have access to information and knowledge.

RS: Do you think it’s problematic that blood, hymen, menstruation and sex are not addressed?

AC: It really depends on where the responsibility lies. As a parent, I think that the times and thinking are changing, that people are talking more. I would hope that when my daughter grows up, she’s going to come to me to talk about things that I wouldn’t necessarily have felt comfortable talking about openly when I was growing up. I think it’s a responsibility of individuals to feel comfortable to receive that information and we’ll be able to talk about it more.

Can it be problematic? Yes. If people aren’t informed, but everyone has their own opinion, it’s like vaccinations. Having the internet to use isn’t always the best thing, but I guess calculated decisions and good informed choices are important.

I can see that there are consequences of not addressing it, but again, that depends on the parent – a lot of the stigma depends on what the parent chooses to teach or inform the child.