In a country like ours where mensuration is still a taboo in many households and some people even consider it impure, Did you know? There is a Hindu temple which celebrates one of the most natural biological processes. "Kamakhya Devi Temple" is not only a temple but it is also a symbol which celebrates women's power to give birth. The deity and the temple recognize the 'shakti' or the power of every woman. This unique temple is located on the Nilachal Hill in the city of Guwahati in the state of Assam. It is one of the oldest of 51 Shakti Pithas. It is a very significant pilgrimage site for Hindus, especially for Tantric worshipers.

The legend behind the origin of the temple revolves around the gods' Shiva and Sati, the first wife of Lord Shiva who later takes rebirth as Parvati. According to the legends, Sati fought with her husband to be part of grand 'Yajna' that her father had organized to appease the gods in which both Shiva and Sati were not invited. Shiva advises her not to go as they are not invited but paying no heed to her husband’s advice Sati goes to the Yajna only to be insulted by her father. Her father also speaks ill about Shiva. Unable to bear her husband's insult she leapt into the fire of the Yajna. When Shiva came to know about this his anger knew no limits. Carrying his wife’s burnt corpse, he starts doing tandav (The Dance of destruction). While all of the gods were in fear under Shiva’s rage, it was Lord Vishnu who sent his chakra and cut the body of Sati in order to calm the anger of Shiva. According, to Kalki Purana Kamakhya temple, denotes the spot where her yoni (genital) fell.

Menstruation is a very natural biological process which starts which teenage and every girl goes through it every month. And since the vagina of Sati fell to give rise to Kamakhya temple, it is believed that the goddess course through her periods for 3 days in the month of June as a result of which the doors of the temple remains closed. These three days are celebrated as an annual festival known as Ambubachi Mela. Coming back to the societal norms, we see a lot of double standards. Inside the closed temple during these 3 days of June when the goddess is presumed to have her periods, the yoni is covered with a red cloth and at the end of the festival, the red cloth is taken as Prasad. But when a normal girl menstruates, so many of our households still consider it as impure and the girl is not even allowed to step in the kitchen or in the temple.

On one hand, we are worshipping bleeding goddess but on the other hand, we still do not openly talk about menstrual hygiene with young girls, still, it is considered as a taboo in our society. Why do we feel shy to discuss the same? We celebrate mensuration among goddesses but when the question arises of celebrating the same biological natural process in our own women and girls, Why do we shy away from that, Why do we don't talk about menstrual hygiene? Why still in so many parts of India it is considered as impure? Sometimes I do feel that we live in a society which has double faces, every day we worship "Devi" in our homes but at the same time we don't even consider talking about such important issues with our girls. Forget talking, society harasses them both mentally and physically. The biggest question is, Are we a society full of hypocrites?