Mann wrote:During periods, one was not allowed to offer Bhog ... I offered Bhog especially when I had my periods :). I don't think 'Baba' got angry at me.
I can imagine Lekhraj Kirpalani was blushing a little ...
Accepted things used to be much more orthodox and disciplined. You decide whether that was better or worse.
I wonder where and how all the rituals descended from? I will be honest, it is one part of Sindhi culture I know nothing about. In Nepal, a country the BKs had a special affection for as it was the last monarchy or something and therefore consider pure and where Mama Om Radhe would take rebirth, there is a problem of women, young and old, dying when they are sent to the traditional "menstruating huts" for the duration of their period. The new democratic government has tried to ban it, but the habit still carries on.
In North India today there are still, "institutes for ideal wives", or Manju Sanskar Kendra, teaching traditional Hindu views about all this sort of stuff, taken from scriptire or the guru. Relating to menstruation:
Papads will turn red and taste foul if a menstruating woman looks at them.
Plants, flowers will wilt if a menstruating woman so much as glances at them.
Keep evidence of menstruation out of sight of men, otherwise they’ll turn blind.
Do not speak to evil persons, menstruating women while pregnant, or else your son will be born a monster.
In all fairness, similar superstitions also existed in the West.
I remember Thursday was hair washing morning and the Sister would wear their hair down and wet until it dried. I think this was playing out some BK ritual going back to Mama's day. Either hairdryers were not sattvic, or too body conscious, or simple not invented yet for the BKs?
Was there ever any explanation of *why* they did their stuff, or was it all just "take it for granted and do as you are told ... conform, do not question?".
Could they come up with a plausible sounding spiritual explanation for it all?
It's funny because many of the early Western BK women would have considered themselves to be feminists ... and yet, somehow, they found themselves willingly subjecting themselves to what are likely patriarchal distastes.
Was there ever a simple, practical reason for it, eg before the invention of adequate sanitary equipment?