Recently post CSK winning the IPL, the act and attire of Rivaba Jadeja, Gujarat MLA and wife of Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja went viral. She was both appreciated, compared and criticised for her action. Rivaba Jadeja, who draped herself in saree and veiled her head was seen running to her husband and touching his feet, then giving him a hug. In spite of the action being a personal affair between a husband and wife, Rivaba was praised as being a sanskari Indian women assaulting the sentiments of other women folk, who believe touching husband’s feet is no less a custom of patriarchy.
There are several aspects which goes unnoticed among the people of the country. First of all it becomes necessary to understand the history and background of the system. The touching of husband’s feet is a mark of respect to him as women in earlier days married much older men says one of the sources, where as some other indicate it to be symbolising man as God. And so, some section of the women in modern world call it a patriarchal system which once upon a time saw women as inferior to all creatures.
A Ghoongat, pardha, veil are not a newer concept in the history of India. Ghoongat, a system of covering a head is practiced by women belonging to Sikh, Jain and Hindu traditions. The head and sometime also the face is covered using the saree pallu or a shawl. Women in Islamic faith too are no exception to this practice, that is Purdah system.
The Wikipedia source also connect the existence of Ghoongat to Sanskrit word Avagintana, which is a sort of covering used during ancient period, where as the Pardha system on Muslims began with the spread of Islam in India.
But looking at the history of India, we observe that, it is only the women belonging to royal families followed Ghoongat system. The history of Wodeyar family says that, the famous palace in Bengaluru had a section for women where in the area was completely veiled in order to give women safety, security and privacy. The women who looked down the corridor could witness the proceedings of the palace but veil barred men from invading the privacy of women who were in upper floor of the palace.
Amidst all these historical evidences on the practice, it becomes the choice of a women to decide whether she finds it a need to practice or no. Culture is a practice followed for several years and will have its own reason for its origin. With British coming to India stitched clothes like pants made our lives more easier in areas of sports and physical activities. Women too adhered to changes which made their life simple. Thus women will not fail to be a sanskari if she doesn’t choose to wear a saree or put a pallu/veil.