Menstruating women still banned from consuming milk products

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, Oct. 5: Believe it or not, a tradition prohibiting menstruating women from consuming milk, curd and whey still exists in Bajura district. 

After the shamans tell locals that if a woman on period consumes milk products it will bring bad luck to the house and turn cows and buffaloes infertile, this social evil persists. 

Sita Nepali of Budhiganga Municipality-10, Badeda, said that they have been devoid of nutritious food during mensuration because of this tradition.

"When we are in the city we consume milk products during mensuration as well but in the village, we are not even allowed to touch cows and buffaloes during mensuration," she added. Even they are not allowed to touch the cowsheds during their period. 

Although health officials empahsise that during mensuration women need to consume nutritious food including milk products, women are never allowed to consume dairy products.

In most of the places in Bajura districts including Himali Rural Municipality, Swamikartik Rural Municipality, Jagannath, Badi Malika Municipality Gaumul Rural Municipality, Budhiganga Municipality, Tribeni Municipality and Khaptad Chhededaha Rural Municipality, women are not allowed to eat milk products during their periods. 

In most of the places of Bajura women during mensuration are still made to sleep in 'Chaw Goth'. In Bajura, postpartum mothers too are not allowed to consume milk products apart from ghee.

If the menstruating women are given milk products, shamans will get infuriated, said Mana Sarki a local of Budhiganga Municipality-10. 

"If someone secretly gives milk products to menstruating women, the shamans of the village threaten people of not allowing them to rear cows and buffaloes in their house," he added.

Because of the fear of the shamans, menstruating women are not allowed to consume milk products. 

If women having periods touch cows or buffaloes, or the roof of their sheds, a maiden is made to collect 

water from seven water sources, and gold is dropped in the water to make it pure and after that cows and buffalo are washed from that water, as a purifying ritual. The local shamans say that if the menstruating women touch the roof, cows and buffaloes cannot be kept inside those roofs.