Page 30 - February 2024

much pomp! In Odisha, the transition
is celebrated as a festival called Raja

Parba. In Kerala, in a ceremony lasting
5 days, called Thirandukalyanam, the

girl is given a massage with coconut oil
followed by cleansing with vaka (Royal
poinciana) flowers; a priest also performs

a purification ritual. In Karnataka, the
girl is celebrated with a half-sari festival.

She is bathed and cleansed, given fruits,
saris and jewelry as gifts, and showered
with blessings in a women-only ceremony.

Finally, in Andhra Pradesh, girls undergo
a Peddamanishi Pandaga ceremony for

5-7 days. They are kept in a separate
hut with a mattress and utensils and
given nutritious meals. On the last day

of her period, she is bathed by 5 women
excluding her mother, dressed in a silk

sari, and adorned with jewels. Many other
rituals are carried out by different states in
India, all in celebration of the importance

of fertility and menarche in a girl.

As with all areas, Ayurveda also gives
importance to preserving the health and
preventing disease of the reproductive tract

because having healthy progeny depends
on it. To do this, a special diet and lifestyle

routine are recommended during the
menstrual phase, called rajaswala charya.
The menstruating female should refrain

from sexual intercourse and remain
chaste during this time. She should also

avoid daytime sleep, oil massage, vigorous
exercise, and excessive laughing or talking.
Food intake should be light and easy to

digest, such as rice, barley, and vegetables
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