A veil is a garment that is worn in many countries that observe certain religious rules and regulations. There is a language to veiling, whether the garment is used to hide a woman or to show her off, whether the reason to wear it is religious, cultural or decorative. Hindu women veil at specific times for religious motives, and this comes from the idea of purdah. The practice of purdah is adopted from long held religious practices that began in Persia and spread to the rest of the Middle East. Each culture that adopted the practice changed the reasons to veil a woman, or in other words, to be hidden from view.
Purdah as a Set of Rules
Purdah is a practice that is seen in India. The rules of purdah are in place to prevent men from seeing women. The literal meaning of the word purdah is to veil or screen. The idea of purdah will be various according to the caste the families belong to. The woman, if it can be done, does not leave the house, and she veils her face in front of strangers and certain male kin that are related to her husband. If the women needs to leave the house, due to necessity or an emergency, the woman will wear her veil at all times in public, even in front of her husband.
Bahus or Daughter-in-Laws
There are different ways to observe the rules of purdah if a family is elite or rural. Rural women wear the veil, even out in public, because they cannot afford to be home bound and not help their family. For elite women, the rules of purdah are followed, but they have their own separate part of the house to observe purdah in, and they are retained within the home for a period of time, and not allowed out without permission. These married women, elite or rural are termed as being Bahu. This is a term used for women during the beginning of their marriages, and it means daughter-in-law. During this time, the Bahus are not allowed to talk to anyone when they are unveiled, especially men who are older then the Bahus.
Beyond the period of marital concealment, women are responsible for veiling in front of certain people, for example, a father-in-law or brother-in-laws. From what is understood, the Bahus veil their faces from their husbands to show that they have no independent identity, and it also establishes the public view on the respect she has for her husband. These ideas of purdah are strictly enforced within some households, allowing women to have little reign over their own choices.
The women observing purdah wear an ordhini, which is a wrap that is worn with the attire for daily wear. The veils that Indian or Hindu women wear are usually, more often then not, able to be seen through. It is done that way, so the women can still see and be seen, but her features are distorted enough to be able to be seen by others without the fear of shame. Religiously, Hindu women claim that they use the curtain or purdah to freely express their beliefs without shame. The women see it as a way to show devotion to their beliefs, practices to their gods, and to themselves. For protection, purdah is used to protect Hindu women from unwanted touches from men, but it is also used to protect men from the natural power effects of women.
Sources:
- Abu-Lughod, Lila. (1999). Veiled Sentiments. Los Angeles, CA; University of California Press.
- Gold, Ann Grodzins. “Power as Vilence: Hindu Images of Female Fury.” The Over Fifty Percent. Waveland Press, Inc. 1993.
- Raheja, Bloria Goodwin & Ann Grodzins Gold. Listen to Heron's Words. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1994.
- PHOTO INFORMATION: Singh, Siddharth (2010). "Lomography Series Number 13: Colur." Photo of the Moment by Siddharth Singh. Permission to use the image was granted by the photographer.
Maureen Zieber - I currently hold a Bachelor's Degree in World History, and Women's Studies, with a minor in Anthropology from the University of Delaware, ...
