Along with Maharashtra educationist Savita Shete, I wish to confess that during my early teens, I too had entered the sanctum sanctorium of a renowned temple where the King Cobra guards the deity. After that, I lived in fear that I would be struck by leprosy for polluting the King Cobra.
These notions of impurity are deeply embedded within us even today.
My domestic help tells me she will not light the diya before the image of goddess Durga during 'those’ days. When I explain to her that Durga is Shakti, she thinks I fabricated these stories. Challenging the high priest of Sabarimala is easier than challenging our own deeply-ingrained notions of menstrual impurity.
(The writer is a known women's rights lawyer and co-founder of rights advocacy group Majlis)
