There are many taboos related to certain bodily functions and there is no right or wrong answers. To know the reasons why so many people believe the story, click here.

Why Is Menstruation Cycle Impure For Temples?

What is menstruation?

Menstruation is a natural process that happens in girls and women every month. It is the body’s way of shedding the lining of the uterus (womb) when there is no pregnancy. During this time, blood and tissues come out of the body through the vagina, usually for three to seven days. This process generally starts between the ages of nine and sixteen and is a sign that a girl’s body is growing and becoming capable of having children in the future.

Therefore, menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life and not something to be ashamed of. But in many cultures and religions, menstruation is often surrounded by myths, taboos, and restrictions. One of the most common practices in Hinduism (and some other traditions) is barring menstruating women from entering temples or participating in religious rituals. This restriction is based on the idea that menstruation is considered impure or polluting. There are various perspectives to understand the scientific, spiritual or cultural reasons behind this complex issue.

Religious and cultural beliefs associated with menstruation

Many Hindu religious texts, such as Manusmriti and some Puranas clearly mention restrictions for menstruating women. These texts label menstruation as “asucha” which means impure and advise women to avoid religious activities during their periods. In some parts of India, menstruation is associated with these notions of purity and pollution because bodily excretions, including menstruation, are believed to be polluting. Therefore, all women, regardless of social caste, are considered to incur pollution during menstruation. 

Further, it is believed that it disrupts the energy flow in the temple and affects the deity. This is so because it is believed that the energy flow in the temple is disrupted when a woman enters during her menstrual period. This downward movement of a woman's energy during menstruation conflicts with the upward movement of energy in a Hindu place of worship.

In temples it is generally said that there is presence of Prana which is the life force or vital energy to exist in everything and is very sacred and is believed to affect the subtle body of individuals. The imbalance of energy during menstruation is believed to disturb this prana. It is believed that the energy or prana of menstruating women attracts the energy of the murti (deity) in the temple. This energy exchange is believed to render the murti lifeless or lacking energy.

The famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala is a significant example of this practice in temples and also adds another reason for celibacy as to why women should not enter temples during menstruation. This temple prohibits women of menstruating age from entering and these bans are justified by saying that the deity is pure and the presence of menstruating women could disturb the spiritual discipline associated with the temple.

People believe that the God worshipped in Sabarimala, Lord Ayyappa, is a lifelong celibate and has never married and has avoided relationships with women. Now worshippers believe that since he represents strict spiritual discipline, the presence of women who menstruate could distract him from his celibate nature because menstruation is seen as a symbol of fertility. 

However, apart from all these beliefs there are contradictory opinions also to the same as not all temples have such rules. Some hindu temples believe that menstruating women are pure during that time of the month and they are worshipped as living goddesses. This belief emphasizes the sacredness and power which is associated with menstruation. 

The Kamakhya temple in Assam, for instance, celebrates menstruation as a festival and it is called Ambubachi Mela. The temple closes for three days every June which marks the time when Goddess Kamakhya (a form of Shakti) is believed to menstruate. During this period, the earth itself is considered sacred and fertile, and the temple’s sanctum sanctorum is covered with a red cloth. 

Devotees believe that the goddess’s menstrual blood nourishes the land which makes it a time of spiritual power and renewal. This temple gives a very different perspective on menstruation as while many religious institutes see menstruation as “impure”, Kamakhya’s tradition breaks this taboo because the goddess’s “period’ is not dirty but a sign of creation and strength. People believe that just as the earth has seasons, the goddess’s menstruation represents the cycle of rebirth and renewal.

 

This rare tradition of Kamakhya temple proves that spirituality and biology can coexist with reverence and not restrictions.

 

Conclusion

Therefore, menstruation is both sacred and impure and this contradiction points to a deeper truth: these rules are not uniform or universal. They are shaped by regional, cultural, and patriarchal influences over centuries. We have used the narrative of impurity to control and suppress women’s presence in public and religious life. What may have begun as a system of rest became, over generations, a reason to exclude women from spaces of power, decision-making, and divinity. The idea of menstruation cycle being impure for temples varies all over and menstruation is a natural process and whether it is worshipped or stigmatized depends not on gods, but on human- made rules.

 

This article was written by our very talented writer, Nikita. We do not like to take credit for our team’s work, so Nikita, shoutout girl.

 

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