Rishi Panchami Puja

 Disclaimer: Through this post, I do not intend to hurt any cultural or personal belief. The post simply highlights my perception about the Rishi Panchami Puja.

No, I've never performed a Rishi Panchami Puja.

Nor did my mother ever made me do it.

And specially ever since, I've learnt of what it embarks, it has made my conscience clear of not performing a Rishi Panchami Puja.

Rishi panchami puja, this very day is performed   to please the  सप्तऋषि along with the eighty eight thousand सौनकादी ऋषिहरु and the other ज्ञात अज्ञात ऋषि, condemning of any "mistake" or गल्ति, that a woman has done during her menstrual cycle or while she was on her periods- रजस्वाला!

Well, रजस्वाला is a physiological or let's say a biological process which marks that a woman is blessed to conceive a life within her or is able to give birth to new life. Previously, the "untouchability" during रजस्वाला did not exist. Woman were given a time off to take rest because of the pain that she suffers while on her menstrual cycle. The time off was to take care of her, for her cleanliness, for her good health, which later was barged with untouchability. Hundreds of young girls and women lose their lives in remote parts during the रजस्वाला as they are forced to live in a "छाउ गोठ" as the victim of the ruthless  "छौपडी प्रथा".

Rather than performing puja to condemn about the mistakes done, this very occasion could be embarked as the Menstrual Hygiene Day in Nepal, where people would actually celebrate the womanwood, perform puja to thank God for  blessing women with such a boon to give birth to a new life, spread awareness about how the taboos are nothing but some ridicules that have no scientific nor any cultural meaning.

We should perform the Puja but with a new significance of the cause. Let's take forward the traditions and culture that is for the good of everyone leaving the dark aspects behind.

Period.