Religious Practices Among Caste Hindu Women in India

Constitution of India has given fundamental rights to every person to practice and follow their respective religion. Hinduism has its Scriptures, the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, Manusmriti and Bhagvat Gita. Daily actions of caste Hindu women embodied in religious practices of one kind or the other. The foundation of Hinduism, based upon non-egalitarian social order, and justifies the Varna and caste system, as a divine scheme of ordering society. Moreover, Hinduism assigned inferior status to women.

The paper delineates the religious practices followed by caste Hindu women, which questioned their equal status. Some religious practices such as worshipping the Banyan tree for getting same husband for seven births, which is sanctioned by Hindu religion. Touching feet of the husband every morning, keeping fast for the husband good health and many other religious practices followed by caste Hindu women that further strengthen the systemic patriarchy that operates within the family.

The paper explores the nexus between the Hinduism, gender and family violence, which leads to the subjugation of women. Often, caste Hindu women became the victims of violence perpetuated by their partner. However, the violence is been justified on the name of particular relationship. Since, in Hinduism, husband is the God for wife. The paper argues that there is need for caste Hindu women to think rationally and reflects on the thoughts of Savitri Phule, Mahatma Phule and Ambedkar, who were the social reformer and fought for the equal rights for women in India. In doing so, caste Hindu women could liberate themselves from the religious practices, which suppress them and reinforces the patriarchal structure in the family