PUBERTY CEREMONY OF
ASHRITHA
18th Jan 2015
Puberty ceremony is rightfully to be held promptly, after the girls’ first period has stopped but nowadays, the ceremony would be postponed to the convenience of the parents – to get stuff prepared for the ceremony. Girls are sent to school immediately after they get their first period – the seclusion ritual above is not widely practiced now because absence from school evokes questions from classmates and teachers and compromises school and exam attendance. Puberty ceremonies are held on weekends or during school holidays, at the families’ own convenience.
In the olden days, these ceremonies were held to publicize the matrimonial availability of the girls, that they are now ready to marry and those suitors interested can come and ask the girl’s hand for marriage. Girls were married off in their teen years those days and they got their periods in their teen years, much later than the age girls nowadays become "Hudugi Doddavalu Agidale ".
Presently, like I mentioned above, girls hit puberty much early, as young as 9 years old. This phenomenon has to do with modern dietary habits – growth hormone injected foods, the same foods that cause cancer. Conversely, girls marry much later nowadays which renders the grand puberty publicizing ceremony virtually needless. It is maybe a display of love and show off on how much parents can do for their daughters. But, the money spent on lavish puberty ceremonies might as well be saved as tertiary education deposit thus encouraging them to reach intellectual heights. That is a better way to show love and care to daughters.
By holding extravagant puberty ceremonies and dolling up the girl like a bride, it makes them lose their innocence.
I think a girl’s rite of passage has been over-glorified and more attention needs to be given to menstrual health and hygiene; they should be taught how to manage menstruation. Personally, I find the younger a girl gets her period, the more unawares she’s caught. How do you explain ovaries, ovum, uterus and menstruation to a 10 year old girl? Young girls are exploited in the photo shoots for puberty ceremonies. They don’t look like fresh faced kids with all that make up on – they look like women of marriageable age. The innocence of coming to age is disregarded.
