Women in Shabarimala: Legends, dogmas and hypocrisies

The 2006 controversy involving a yesteryear actress' claim of entering the Shabarimala shrine–hitherto proscribing women's entry–exposed some redundant but deeply entrenched dogmas and hypocrisies of the society, particularly that of Kerala.

Although it could be a harbinger of a more in-depth understanding of the social and emotional involvement of the society with religion, the actress' claim can itself be safely said to be wishful thinking.

To begin with, it is practically impossible for her to enter the shrine's premises, let alone touch the presiding deity's feet, which in any case is placed inside a single door structure with three footsteps and scores of lamps in between the idol and the devotee.

However, the larger question involved here is this: So what if Jaimala – an adult woman – did enter the temple?

In a day and age where 'equality' - irrespective of religion, gender, caste or creed – as an ideal in the society, the shooing away of sexually active women from places of worship is simply anachronistic.

While some of the arguments to bar women inside the temple could be understood to be a result of the social construct of a bygone era, others are manifestations of sheer hypocrisy and misogyny.

The temple – located at a place called Sannidhanam - is nestled in the heart of the Western Ghats in Pathanamthitta district of south Kerala. The area trekked by the pilgrims is densely foliated, which even now is full of scary giant centipedes and leeches.

One can imagine why women were not "advised" to go for the trek that lasted weeks in the olden days when the jungle was probably infested with wild animals.

Women in that age perhaps were never conditioned for the physically draining climb up several hills. But it sounds stupid today when we have women in the defence forces and in space.

Perhaps another argument that could be accepted to a certain extent as being scientific is that women, who undergo hormonal changes during their periods, are not in a mental state to be spiritually active.

But spirituality, ultimately being a purely personal issue, should be left to one's reason and discretion.

The main reason behind the barring of women in that temple is that Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Shabarimala, would have his chronic bachelorhood defiled by the presence of grown up women.

Is it not belittling the character of a god by considering it so fragile that it would be shattered by the simple presence of a woman?

Secondly, the legend of Ayyappa says he had promised to marry goddess Malikappuram - who resides just few metres away from the main temple - the year no new devotee visits him.

In fact there is an elaborate ritual observed every year at Shabarimala where the goddess checks the number of new devotees who have visited the temple that particular year and regularly returns disappointed.

So technically he would marry Malikappuram if the flow of devotees comes down, which in practicality doesn't seem to be happening though.

The most obnoxious bit in this argument, however, is that focused on menstruating women. How can a woman's reproductive functions be considered defiling? There is no reason to believe that the menstrual fluid is any more "unclean" than human faeces or urine.

This in a state whose citizens also patronize a menstruating goddess at the Kodungallur temple in Trissur district, for whom the most important gift taken by the devotees is the 'bharanippaattu' - a series of rhyming verbal obscenities crudely naming sexual organs and acts.

But what does expose the hypocrisy of the devaswom board and the society is the insistence on observation of 'age–old rules' and 'pious norms'!

By that standard a great section of men, who are supposed to observe a 41-day period of penance before going there – beginning with the ceremonial wearing of the beaded chain and coarse black material for clothes - should also be barred.

This is apart from the rule that debars non-vegetarian food, alcohol, sex and contact with menstruating women for the 'Ayyappa Swamis' as the pilgrims are called during the penance!

A good section of of men – at least in Kerala - hardly observe any of these rules. In fact people enter penance just a week before the trip - many a times a day before the trip. Perhaps "instant penance" is the buzzword here.

The night before the wearing of the beads and black cloth is one of festivity in most homes with a generous serving of booze and non-vegetarian food.

The 'swamis' are not supposed to shave their beard and wear footwear. But it rarely happens, particularly among the working class, who conveniently bow to their professional codes of dressing.

The biggest attitudinal change is that no attempt, whatsoever, is made to do all this in a hush-hush manner. These are all well accepted practices in Kerala now.

If all this is not a hindrance to the entry of 'impure' men, then the ban on women is just a nauseating joke.

The most compelling argument, however, women in Kerala themselves are against opening the temple for their fellow beings.

This is not surprising, as for ages, women in Kerala, as in other parts of the world, have been conditioned to think they are impure during their periods.

This has been used as a subtle but effective tool to subjugate the female psyche in god's own country, which ironically prides in having one of the country's best sex ratio and a much-hyped matri-lineal society.

All said and done the age-old norms cannot be changed overnight. The authorities could make a good beginning by opening the doors for women who are not going through their monthly cycles.

Ultimately "god or gods do not discriminate" is a message that the society must inculcate if it has to progress.

'50s & '60s: Mere Nostalgia or India's Peak?

Some say the hour produces the 'Hero'. The era creates the legend. Something of that sort perhaps happened to the generation that peaked to its creative and productive best in the 1950s & '60s in India (some of my friends, US citizens, with strong faith in the US's founding principles too agree about the US on this).

Be it art, political leadership, scientific benchmarks, entertainment, music, agriculture or any possible field. Something stirred the country that led to the creation of a generation that either brought out the best in particular fields or laid the strong foundations for the future.

Of course, I'm sure people will disagree with me and say that every generation has its heroes, who edify that values and aesthetic sensitivities of that era. I am none to disagree. In fact, I would strongly agree with it.

But what would distinguish other eras from the 50s & 60s (+ or - 3 years, so say from 1947 to 1973), is the sheer fecundity of these years in producing the best of the genus and the very fact that so many of the high-fliers and pioneers (in almost every field) together peaked during the years.

The primary reason, as I have understood, is the uprooting of the British from the country. Suppressed for centuries, the creative and productive energies of a people was let loose in 1947.

1947 itself was, for instance, some kind of “Khul Ja Sim Sim” for Indian cinema. As India awoke in 1947, its tinsel dreams too got a providential thrust that year with the likes of Raj Kapoor, MGR, Lata Mangeshkar, Uttam Kumar and Dilip Kumar either making their debut or finally finding limelight with their first hit.

We all know what these folks went on to do in the next 20-30 years. For details visit http://taarezameenpar-pullaratimes.blogspot.com/

This, of course, is merely a glimpse of an area I am familiar with. However, such stories are not few in other areas.

C Subramaniam, Nehru, Homi Bhabha, Periyar, the Godse brothers, Shastri, Gen Thimayya, Manekshaw, Sukumar Sen, J R D Tata, M S Subbalakshmi, M S Swaminathan, Verghese Kurien, Kushwant Singh, Kuldeep Nayyar, R K Lakshman, R K Narayan, M F Hussein, Vikram Sarabhai, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ramu Karyat… the list is simply endless.

None of these names can be replaced. Each has had a profound and lasting impact on India.

Of course, many will say that India is yet to peak. It is on its way there. I dare not disagree.

However, as much as I agree with it, I also feel the progress – if at all -- we are yet to see in the country would not be as “personality-driven” or “leadership-driven” as it was during the ’50 & ’60s. It would be more a macro-level change, brought about less by pioneering efforts and more by an interplay of economics, technological advance (bedrock of which was laid in my favourite era I believe) and political environment.

What was it, other than the newfound political freedom, that created wave after wave of talent in the country during those years and since then?

Like they say, they don’t make like them anymore!