Back in Time

Today we are headed to our next location, Bundi. In the time I have been in India, I have visited about seven historical forts, all built in different time periods for Rajs in Rajasthan. One of the many things they hade in common was the use of purda windows. These were windows that were built in forts designed so that women could see out of them into the courtyard and city, but men could not see in. The designers did this by interlacing different patterns into the stonewalls of rooms.

Purda translates into modesty, and it was repeated many times, by tour guides, audio guides, or just guide books, that they were there for the protection of women from leering men. Whether it was just the wandering eye, to if there was an invasion of the fortress, these were made to ensure that women were protected by stares and kept modest. This made me question the history of women's rights in India. Were these purda windows put up because men really did care about the modesty and protection of women, or to remind them of their oppression, as if to say that they were stuck behind stonewalls, and were forbidden to be seen.


In my opinion, I think that it was a mixture of both, because although the men wanted to preserve the women's privacy and modesty, it was also oppressing to them in that maybe it was a bit too much privacy and modesty, which may have caused some insecurity. Although it was made with mostly good intentions, it was, in my opinion, oppression nonetheless towards women.

Standing by a purda window.