dailyO
Variety

Why we find a ‘menstruating’ Durga so offensive

Advertisement
Sanghamitra Baruah
Sanghamitra BaruahOct 04, 2018 | 16:02

Why we find a ‘menstruating’ Durga so offensive

Amid the romanticisation of autumn — the fragrance of shiuli blooms softly falling off the tree of hope, the entrancing beats of dhaak, stirring our hearts with new desires and dreams — Durga Puja also brings with it the annual ritual of controversies.

After all, what's a Durga Puja without controversies over the depiction of the goddess and how we celebrate her homecoming? 

Advertisement

The very commercial and competitive war of obeisance over the years has made us paint the goddess in various contemporary hues — the protective mother of the universe, the demon slayer, the rescuer, the diva.

Ultimately, it's us who creates a 'devi' — the way we want to see her. 

But it seems not everybody has the freedom to express their wishes.

Mumbai-based artist Aniket Mitra courted controversy for his depiction of the goddess — a sanitary pad with a bloodied lotus on it. 

The napkin, with the distinct halo associated with goddess Durga in the background, was basically an attempt by the visual artist to start a conversation about menstruating women who are often forced to stay away from ceremonial alters and other religious rituals. 

durga-puja_100418030258.jpg
Mumbai-based artist Aniket Mitra's controversial artwork. (Photo: Facebook)

"I have watched first my sisters and now my wife struggling with taboos regarding their periods. I have seen them be asked to not come to certain places because they are menstruating. As someone living in 2018, this infuriates me," Mitra was quoted by News18.

As the artwork went viral on social media, Mitra was inundated with threats for "hurting Hindu sentiments".

Advertisement

While a few have lauded his efforts, many feel Mitra's piece of art is nothing but anti-Hindu. Some have called him anti-national. Mitra was trolled to the extent that he was forced to remove the artwork from his Facebook timeline, where it got over 4,000 shares in just 24 hours.

radiant_100418030630.jpg
As long as she looks radiant. (Credit: PTI photo)

While it's not uncommon to see sentiments getting bruised by art, opposition to Mitra's depiction of the goddess makes one thing very clear — even a goddess is 'unacceptable' and 'unclean' to us if she is bleeding. We only want to see a 'clean' devi.

It's this concept of 'unblemished', 'unstained' and 'pure' beauty — the desire to see the devi only as a diva — that forces so many women either to delay their period during "religious" festivities or to stay away from the rituals. 

It is this legacy of piety, steeped in notional sobriety, that its custodians find it more acceptable to airbrush the devi with strokes of commercialised empowerment. 

Ahead of the puja this year, Nikon India has come out with quite a sexualised devi in the guise of women empowerment — 'I'm so Devi and Diva'.

Advertisement

nikon_100418030959.jpg
I can be everything but bleeding: The 'I'm Nikon' campaign. (Photo: Nikon)

Understandably, no one is complaining because this is how we understand women's empowerment — ultimately objectifying and denigrating her existence through the powerful male gaze.

This entitled gaze wants to see only the 'diva' in the goddess and real women, not the blood running through their veins or flowing out of them.

This is not to say that there is anything wrong in looking sexy, or the devi exuding style, but can we please give up the pretence that women are anything other than what they are.

Glamorous? Yes.

Sexy? Yes.

Bleeding? Yes. 

Empowered? Well, certainly not as yet. 

Last updated: October 07, 2018 | 19:15
IN THIS STORY
Please log in
I agree with DailyO's privacy policy