4. Marriage

Women in India

doranne jacobson

63

This essay was previously published as “Marriage,” in Women in India: Two Perspectives, ed. Do-
ranne Jacobson and Susan S. Wadley (Columbia, MO: South Asia Books, 1977), 40–56.

Munni had heard older girls whispering aboutmahina, something that happened to
a woman every month. She had an idea what it was, but still she was not prepared
for its happening to her. One day she found a spot on her clothes. She knew it was
something embarrassing and tried to hide it, but her cousin’s wife noticed it and took
her aside. Bhabhi explained to Munni what mahinawas and told her how to deal with
it. She told her to use cotton batting or even fine ash wrapped in bits of old saris and
other rags for padding and to dispose of the pads very carefully. “Put them under a
stone or a thick bush when you go out to eliminate. That way no one can get hold
of them and do magic on them, and they won’t cause trouble to anyone else.”
Bhabhi told Munni a trick to ensure that her period every month would be a short
one. “Secretly put three dots of blood on the cowshed wall, then draw a line
through one of the dots. That way your period will only be 2 1 ⁄ 2 days long.” Bhabhi
also told Munni never to touch a man or even a woman during her period. She
should sit apart from others and not go to religious or social events, because a men-
struating woman is considered “dirty” until she takes a full bath five days after the
start of her period. After her bath, she can again enter the kitchen, draw water, and
resume normal interaction with others. Muslim women do not follow all these re-
strictions, but they refrain from praying or touching the holy Koran.