The striking image of a lady, in her traditional clothes, walking towards the front yard with a lamp to offer her prayers at dusk has been painted and etched in our minds by our ancestors and Indian Television.
Yet, the petition regarding the ban of women aged 10-50, that is, women of menstruating age, into the Sabarimala Temple remains a hot topic for debate. While the general public and the judges opine that the right of women to enter the temple and offer her prayers cannot be restricted by the law, temple authorities protest for their ‘traditions’.
Bengalurueans open up about what religion means to them and how regulating it affects their faith.
Jayasree KS, a homemaker says, “The fight is not about the equality between men and women. It is more so about culture and traditions. We are not certain as to why these rules came into being in the first place; a few that I can recall are pertaining to the ritual of having to take a bath in the Pamba River before entering the temple and the rough travel an individual has to endure to reach the temple. Though women beyond the age of 50 and below the age of 10 are permitted to follow this, an assumption is already made that it isn’t something women can do. It is also important to remember that these rules were made in a time so ancient. In today’s world its relevance is questionable. One’s faith in religion and god is beyond the regulations of man.”
A few argue that religion is an institution, a sacred one that can only run with the help of rules and regulations, while the majority disagree with this view.
Serah Mathews, a project co-ordinator in a design and branding firm says, “When there are rules, the idea of god is lost; it becomes more like a structure to control people. I end up feeling like religion is being imposed on me. One question that I can never stop asking is how did these rules ever come into being in the first place? Did god actually tell them these things? What was supposed to be a spiritual thing now feels so manmade.”
Lakshmanan Venugopal, a growth manager in a start-up firm talks about how, to him, the meaning and purpose of religion has changed over the period of time.
He says, “According to me, religion came into being for two reasons: follow of leadership and as a way of life. The religious books always talk about how to live, to be kind and forgiving, be it in Bhagavad Gita or the Bible. Now, it is used as a weapon to control society. Religion is a personal affair, a belief. Whether empowering or not, it is personal and no one is entitled to question or regulate them. As long as they follow the laws of humanity, it’s their choice.”
Dr. Swati Mitra, a sociologist, recalls an instance where she was not allowed to sit for a Puja and on further questioning the priest he did not have an explanation as to why he said so. Commenting on the matter, she says, “In Hinduism we don't have this kind of segregation. It is a segment of imagination of certain priests who have picked up these rules and regulations. Secondly, anybody who is a religious scholar will tell you that we never refer to god as he, it is only a she based religion. This basic understanding has to be there. These rules come in because the scriptures haven’t been read properly; nowhere in the scriptures does it say that women shouldn’t be allowed into the temples. It is only a reflection of some misunderstood patriarchal system which they want to establish. It is a way to maintain hegemony.”
