The Fragrance of Independence By Shyama Parui The soft ringing of the brass bell, the lighting of an oil lamp, and finally the sound of the conch shell signaled the start of prayer time for my family. The fragrance of jasmine agarbatti (incense) would draw us to the puja room, where my mother typically decorated the images of gods…
The Cost Of a Woman a Devadasi who silently cried out for help By Stuti Chegoori My body is worth a penny, my heart is worth a nickel, my soul is worth a dime. To others this statement may seem like worthless words but to the Devadasis’ that are living in India this is their reality. Being a Hindu…
Her plight, her rise! Yes, she will rise from the ashes of the ugly truths, to rediscover herself. By Kalpita Sen They don't give us any jobs She, belonged to a cursed and a regressive system, tousled and tossed in the name of religion; born to poverty-stricken parents, who to unburden themselves of daughters used religion to console their…
Two sides of one coin By Ritushree Dutta Oppression and domination have been the key factors to many of society’s problems. Yet somehow through all the turmoil and continued hesitation to end it, we the people seem to be blind to those that cause it in the first place. While I, a female in the United States of America,…
Paradigms Of Empowerment In an age when we expect equal treatment of men and women, the #MeToo movement has torn the façade to reveal that we are not there yet. By Shyama Parui We go about our daily routines, carry out our mundane activities and as we are checking off items on our to-do list, we probably don’t give…
Devadasi – in Service of the Divine Once a woman entered the lifecycle of a Devdasi, the girl children she bore would automatically have no respite from the system. By Sudeshna Hazra The term “Devadasi” has an interesting epistemology. As the name suggests, “Dev” in Sanskrit indicates divine and “dasi” is a personnel in service. Over the course of…
Believe it's possible By Shyama Parui The fallen, the underdog, the weak, are labels that an oppressive person or society applies to individuals or groups it collectively wants to dismiss or taunt callously. Yet, time and again, these forgotten ones will prove you wrong and against all odds, rise to the challenge that life presents. Do the Davids of…