Rtu Vidya / ऋतु विद्या Ancient Science Behind Menstrual Practices / मासिक धर्म प्रथाओं के पीछे का प्राचीन विज्ञान

The book Rtu Vidya emerged in search of answers to questions asked by adolescent girls and women in India, during the author’s interactions with them as part of Menstrual Health workshops, conducted over a span of a decade across rural India. In an attempt to decode menstrual practices, the author undertook a journey across India and studied various indigenous knowledge systems such as Ṣaḍ-Darśana, Āyurved, Tantra, Cakra, Yōg, Āgama Śāstra, Jyotiṣa Śāstra, and several sub-texts from these categories. As a result, the book goes beyond just describing cultural practices and takes a deep dive into explaining the scientific and logical reasoning behind the origin of these practices. The book seeks to provide answers to questions asked my many Indian women pertaining to menstruation such as the reason for certain food restrictions, physical exertion, menstrual seclusion, restrictions on touching others, avoiding cooking, not visiting temples and so on. The correct understanding of the science behind menstrual practices, as given in this book, will help women prevent menstrual difficulties, develop a positive attitude towards menstruation and learn to work in synchronization with nature’s cycles. Rtu (pronounced as ruthu) is one of the terms for menstruation in Sanskrit. Vidya means knowledge. Rtu Vidya is the author’s attempt to bring together various indigenous knowledge systems that provide information about the science of menstruation which is relevant even to this day.