Women 's Ritual Practices Of Women

According to Hinduism the female was created by Brahman as part of the duality in creation, to provide company to men and facilitate procreation, progeny and continuation of family linage. The Vedas suggest that a woman’s primary duty is to help her husband in performing obligatory duties and enable him to continue his family tradition. Her primary duty is to give birth to his children and take care of them. Hinduism is a predominantly male dominated religion. Woman play a secondary role. The situation is gradually changing. It is difficult to draw generalizations about the status of present day Hindu women because of society is complex. In general, life in cities is much different from life in the rural areas. Those who live abroad live in different conditions than those who live in the country. Yet, we have ample indications that women are still subject to many restrictions and disabilities in rural area as well as urban areas. The financial independence of woman and the education levels of the family play an important role in this regard. Women in urban areas face numerous challenges in their professions and personal lives. But overall, life is better for them compared to the past. Love marriage outside of the caste or community are scorned and sometimes the couples are killed or excommunicated by the elders in the family or village. Widows can now have a life of their own and even remarry. They draw a lot of sympathy. But

In many cultures, the roles of women vary reluctantly. While researching the many aspects of Buddhism, the religion is sometimes practiced differently and the roles of women differs. According to Experiencing World Religions, (Molloy, 127) Buddhism is one of the world's oldest yet most significant religions thus far. It has influenced many cultures, originating from India and making its way to migrate throughout the country of Asia, and women have been involved since the very first day. In today’s society, although men are predominantly inferior over women, women are granted the same opportunities. Just like many other societies in other countries or many other religions there are discriminations and prejucial acts against women. Although, woman are offered the second class citizenship in many Buddhist traditions, a woman's role is very important when helping maintain the religion resulting in mass population of worshipers , fulfilling the duties as caregivers and also wives to their husbands, and also providing any assistance if needed in the community. (Molloy, 127)

Every Culture has a set of rituals that they partake in, that are often constructed over a long period of time. Simple Actions, and special moments contain so much meaning and make everlasting memories. All rituals despite the locations they originate from, or the location they are carried out in contain the same components, they are repetitive, symbolic, remind a certain group of people about their values and beliefs, and these rituals commemorate a significant moment. For example christians commemorate the birth of christ by attending mass, and many other cultures celebrate this moment in many different ways that have in depth symbolic meaning. In the book “Guests of the Sheik” by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea rituals play a major role. Fernea’s husband Bob is an anthropologist studying the occupants of a small village named El Nahra and their culture. Fernea has documented her experiences, and adventures, and her perspective of the many rituals that the townspeople participate in such as, Ramadan, Muharram, weddings, and pilgrimages. In Muslim culture pilgrimages are immensely important and can even lead to an elevated status. Such as the pilgrimage to Mecca. Fernea is able to participate in a pilgrimage to Karbala with a couple of the towns women she had befriended. The Pilgrimage to Karbala is a symbolic, and cultural ritual in the aspect that it is reenacted every year, and is full of symbolic meaning, commemorates an important occasion and reminds a culture about their

In all areas of life and society the treatment and well being of women have always been challenged. In many religions the role and status of its women are usually overwhelmed by the actions and roles of its men this inequality of religions between male and female allows these feelings and ideology of which sex is superior or inferior to bleed into a society’s culture thus shaping their treatment of their men and women.

It is foolish to think following the community's beliefs and traditions is better than what one believes in. In the novel “The hero's walk” by Anita Rau Badami when family traditions are broken, many harsh consequences are made. In the Sripathi family, decisions made causes society. guilt and female rights to be an issue.

Nonetheless, within the Hindu religion, women’s roles have evolved over time and women are going against the social norm of their tradition and their way of life in hopes of being treated in the same manner that Sikh women are within Sikhism (Desai, et al., 1995). Hindu women’s traditional roles in the household in India have changed over the past century. The influence of Western scholars as well as Sikhism views on women has brought change to the overall status and role of women in Hinduism so that Hindu women can be recognized in the same way that Sikhism women are. Western scholars who have studied Hinduism have written many books and articles on the sacred scriptures including reviews on the Vedas (hymns and ritual texts) and other religious scriptures that at one point were restricted from Hindu women.

We have always learned about the history and it always has to do with men. The role they had and what they contribute to the society. However, this is not only a man’s world but also a woman’s. Women’s contributions are equally important for the development of the society. Similarly, in the book assigned Oglala Women Myth, Ritual and Reality by Marla N. Powers, demonstrates the life of women from a Lakota tribe and what their gender role contributes to the tribe and to their families and religions. Furthermore, Power tries to educate her reader about the gender and diversity of world 's religion through her book.

There is an explicit connection between the prevalence, triggers, and impacts of peer pressure, anxiety, stress, and mental illness within women in society and the behavior of the victims and the accusers of the Salem witch trials. The evident yet radical patterns of past behavior of witchcraft coincides with today’s affiliated and acclaimed signs and symptoms of medical mental disorders and illnesses, leaving an aligned explanation of the victims’ and accusers’ fanatical behavior. Not to mention, the women were more likely than men to be affected by these mental afflictions, yet the women played the predominant role of being a victim of the evil spirit and the even accused of being a witch at the time of witchcraftery in Salem. In accusations

In Traditional witchcraft one may lay a compass/compass round, as this is kind of similar to the Wiccan casting of a circle , but with much more different meaning .I will occasionally lay one depending on what I am doing , it's not for sacred space , it isn't for protection ,it is for awakening the powers of the spirits of the earth , the seen and un seen world , as a meeting place , we are the centers of our world and this can be considered as the cross roads , it makes us aware ,and everything comes together , where we respect and honor one another and these powers are brought together .

This joint family, like any social organization, must face problems such as acceptable division of work, relationships and specific family roles. These familial relationships are managed on the basis of a secular hierarchical principle. In fact, all Indians owe respect and obedience to the head of the family, who usually is the father or the oldest man of the family community. In The Gift of a Bride: A Tale of Anthropology, Matrimony and Murder by Nanda and Gregg, it is explained that, “females [are] placed under the perpetual guardianship of first their fathers and elder brothers, then their husbands.” (Nanda & Gregg 22) Thus, all the spending decisions, studies and profession, or marriage, are exclusively the responsibility of the father after the possible discussions with the other men of the family. Age and sex are the basic principles of this hierarchical system. The eldest sons enjoy greater unchallenged authority than their cadets. Of course men have more authority than women, but older married women have an important role within the family. In fact, the authority of a woman depends on the rank of her husband inside the group. Traditionally, the wife of the patriarch rules over domestic affairs and has considerable power over the other women in the community, especially her daughters- in-law.

Women: women deserve so much more respect than we give them. Here is a history lesson for all: Pagan religions, such as Nordic, dating before the birth of Christ introduce goddesses as having the same stature as gods. In Nordic mythology, Odin is known as the all-father and subsequently his wife Freya does not fall short of her role as the wife of the all-father. Freya, for those who do not know, presides over the afterlife realm Folkvang, and according to one Old Norse poem, she chooses half of the warriors slain in battle to dwell there. Parallels can be made to other pagan religions, such as Native American and Greek, where women share the same high stature. As we can see, women at one point had more power than ever. Then came the introduction

An often controversial issue within politics is how woman are viewed and treated in the Hindu religion. The role of woman in Hinduism is often disputed and positions range from quite reasonable to highly antagonistic. An often overlooked aspect is that, Hinduism is more of a way of life then a Religion. This is because Hinduism requires that we see the same reality in all the diversity of creation; that we see the same Self in all beings. Hindu women within this religion would view themselves as an important part of the family, but this is not shown through the contents of the Manusmriti. The Manusmriti directly translated is “Laws of Manu,” or “Institutions of Manu,” is regarded as the foundational

Regardless, women have found their own ways to fight the status quo. Religion, as it is unique to each individual, is an inventive way for women to push against the social norms and find necessary solace for themselves whether it be through spiritual possession or small cell group meetings. Both Shamanistic and Evangelical practices serve as an outlet for suppressed women in the shadow of the Confucian patriarchal society helping to ease the stress of marital and family life even if the slightest

Thus, Hijras characterize ambiguity, and they embrace an identity that is uniquely distinct from the traditional views of male and female. Serena Nanda’s ethnographic observation analyzes the complex position of the Hijra in Indian society (Guest, 2014). Nanda explains that “…the hijra role continues to be sustained by a culture in which religion still gives positive meaning to gender

Marriage is a significant social event in contemporary society. It is a means of building new bonds between two individuals and their subsequent families. The foundations of memorable weddings are built on those that bring often-distant family and friends together for the occasion, while dressed in their most sophisticated attire, surrounded by elegant flowers, a night of dancing, captured through the lens of an exceptional photographer. Although Hinduism and Islam are two extremely distinctive religions, their matrimonial customs do share some comparable elements, like most other cultural wedding ceremonies. In both religions, they are devotedly obedient concerning religious and cultural practices in their marital ceremonies.