Bhopal: The Annapurna Devi Temple in Madhya Pradesh's capital is taking a never-trodden path to become different. When there are preconceived notions that menstruating women must not enter temples, this particular shrine takes menstrual pads and cups as offerings, News18 reports.
In the monotheistic Hindu religion, there are crores and crores of gods, and there are shrines for them all over India. Devotees often make offerings to please these gods and goddesses as well as seek blessings. There is what the Annapurna Devi temple, located in the Arera Colony, thinks differently and takes menstrual hygiene devices as an offering.
The collected sanitary pads and menstrual cups offered in the temple were distributed in slum areas and girls' government schools, says Dipanjan Mukherjee, Director of Heychel Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Bhopal. The distribution is done with the help of the Family Planning Association, Bhopal.
This idea of distributing sanitary pads was inspired by Kamakhya Devi Temple, Guwahati, Assam. Here, the famous festival called Ambubachi is known to work on menstrual health and hygiene practices.
Dipanjan said that people buy flowers and garlands for prices ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 200, but the next day, the flowers are thrown away without benefitting anyone. People's money must be spent on something worthwhile. He said that after the sanitary material offering started, people donated more than 11,000 sanitary napkins to the temple., Dipanjan said.
The Annapurna Devi temple accepts three kinds of offerings. The first one is 'anna dan', which includes coarse grains like wheat and pulses. Second is 'vidya daan, in which books, notebooks, pens and other stationery items for education were donated. The third is the 'arogya dan', where sanitary napkins and menstrual cups are donated.