Pausha Putrada Ekadashi Legitimises Male-Child Preference Every Year

On January 24, 2021, Hindus in India will be celebrating Pausha Putrada Ekadashi. This is observed on the 11^th day (Ekadashi) of Shukla Paksha in the Pausha month, as per the traditional Hindu calendar. Putrada is observed by the Hindu couples who wish to have a son who could be the heir of their families.

How it is celebrated:

On this day, the couple observes a fast for the whole day. The fasts are of two types, one which is observed without consuming any food or water while in the other, the devotee can have fruits and water. To wish for a child or his welfare, devotees worship Lord Krishna’s childhood idol/picture and Lord Vishnu.

Also Read: Festivals Via Feminist Lens: Utpanna Ekadashi And Its Root In Gender Fluidity

The story behind Pausha Putrada Ekadashi

According to Hindu Scriptures, Lord Krishna narrated the story of Putrada Ekadashi to the eldest Pandava Yudhishthira. He said that Putrada Ekadashi was first observed by the king  Bhadravati, Suketuman and his queen Shaibya. According to the legend, the royal couple did not have any child. This worried the king and queen and even their ancestors because, in the absence of a child, no one from the family was left to pay homage to the ancestors and also take over the kingdom. Consequently, the frustrated king left the kingdom and began living in the forest. There he met some sages on the day of Pausha Putrada Ekadashi near the bank of Lake Mansarovar. The sages suggested that the king should observe fast on every Paush Putrada Ekadashi. The king followed the suggestion and soon the kingdom had their new heir.

Watching from the feminist lens

Pausha Putrada Ekadashi is one of the many rituals and customs that legitimate the male-child preferences in our society even today. To say, the fast for an heir was observed in the times when kingdoms were at war, women were not allowed to rule kingdoms and without an heir, the kingdom and its people would have succumbed to tyrants. But today when women are educated, earn well and can even inherit the family business, what is the point behind following these regressive rituals? Why even today a family is seen as incomplete without a son?

Yes, one might say that the Putrada Ekadashi is now celebrated to wish for a child, no matter if it is a son or a daughter. But then, why call it Putrada rather than using a gender-neutral term? Putra in the Hindi language means sons. And this again points out how deeply rooted patriarchy is in our language and lifestyle. Even today, the entire human race is termed as mankind. Many parents address their daughters as Beta because the term Beti is not normalised in our daily patriarchal languages. We still consider sons as the practical heir of the family businesses as daughters have to go to “their homes” after marriage.

Like many other Ekadashis, Putrada Ekadashi is also auspicious, both religiously and scientifically. But is it important to align sexist ideologies with spirituality? Why can’t we reject the regressive tales attached to these significant days and write our own? After all, religion is all about the way you like to live, believe and act and that which defines your uniqueness.

Also Read: Dear Parents, If Daughters Are Lakshmi, Let Them Inherit Family Business Too