Nepalese Hindu women struggles to find identity

The Hindu women in Nepal are struggling to find their identity, according to a Hindu Press International (HPI) report. Hindu mid-hill women in Pashupati, Nepal have been congregating together for generations to celebrate a three-day festival. Until recently the festivities centered around the story of Shiva and Parvathi and the fast that Parvathi observed in order to obtain Shiva as her husband. On the first day the women feasted on sweets followed by two days of fasting that culminated in singing and dancing in front of Shiva temples. However, since 1990 and the advent of democracy, Nepalese women have changed the purpose of the festival and now singing about inequality, discrimination and lack of opportunities, HPI quoting a Nepal Times article said.  
 
The article explains, “Now as armed conflict rents the fabric of Nepali society, the injustices inflicted on women are revealed as never before. Women are increasingly beginning to sing about the bigotry and intolerance they face in society and some of the songs are even militant, where the symbolism of wearing red now stands for revolution. Through these songs, Nepali women reveal their changing roles in their families, communities and even the nation.”