Ashwin & The Sacred Womb: How Motherhood Shattered My Inherited Taboos

Namaskar Mandali,

Welcome back to Sajuk Samvaad.

For as long as I can remember, autumn has carried a very specific, electric energy. The sky clears to an unmistakable shade of blue, the morning breeze turns crisp, and the atmosphere fills with anticipation. We enter Ashwin—the month of Navratri, a celebration dedicated to the divine feminine, to strength, and to the ultimate power of Ambabai (Shree Karveer Niwasini Mahalakshmi).

Growing up in a traditional, orthodox family, Navratri held a distinct rhythm. But as I stand here today, looking at this festival through the eyes of a mother, everything I was ever taught has been completely transformed. It feels as though a thick, dark cloud of generational conditioning has finally cleared, revealing a brilliant, unshakeable light.

Shattering the Myths of the Body

For generations, women in conservative households were raised under a shadow of quiet taboos surrounding their own biology. I remember being taught that the monthly menstruation cycle was something to be hidden, something that debarred you from festivals, auspicious gatherings, or sacred spaces. During those days, women were expected to sit aside, quietly carry the label of being "impure," and remain distant from spiritual or devotional activities.

I swallowed those rules for years because that was simply what we were taught to do.

Then, life gave me the ultimate teacher: the journey of motherhood.

Experiencing the miraculous transformation of the female body—watching it craft, nourish, shelter, and bring a living, breathing human being into this world—shattered every single one of those ancient taboos inside my mind and soul.

I looked at my body in awe. How could the very engine of human existence—the womb that holds the mystery of life—ever be considered "sinful" or "impure"? How could the natural cycle that makes creation possible be barred from standing before the Divine? To create life is the most sacred, godly act in the universe. Motherhood taught me that our bodies are not flawed or taboo; they are magical, divine, and profoundly powerful.

Navratri: Beyond Garba & Festivities

This realization changed the way I look at Navratri forever.

Navratri is so much more than vibrant clothes, music, and social gatherings. Even the traditional Garba holds a sacred geometric truth. The word Garba comes from the Sanskrit word Garbha, meaning the womb.

When people form a ground circular formation to dance around the central lamp (Garbha Deep) or the idol of Ma Shakti or Ma Ambe, that circle represents the sacred womb and the infinite orbit of the universe. It is a living, breathing celebration of the creative energy that sustains all life. When we dance in that circle, we are honoring the ultimate Mother—the divine source from which every single one of us emerged.

Seeing the World Through a Mother’s Eye

Entering Ashwin this year, I feel a deep sense of liberation. The dark clouds of inherited guilt and outdated notions have passed away. In their place is an overwhelming gratitude for the resilience, grace, and magical strength of womanhood.

Being a mother has taught me that true devotion does not live in rigid social taboos or fear-based rules. It lives in pure love, in honoring the body that carries life, and in recognizing the divine mother within every woman.

At Sajuk Soul, this is the essence I carry into my kitchen every single day—a deep reverence for the sacred nourishment that mothers and grandmothers have poured into our culture for centuries. As we celebrate Navratri, let us look beyond the surface, honor the divine feminine in all its forms, and step into the light of absolute self-respect.

Until our next conversation,

Shweta

Creator of Sajuk Soul

CFO PT#0507447

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