Why Women Are Not Allowed in Thai Temple During Periods

I still remember the time when I took my German teacher to visit Srisaket, Thailand. The province is well known for ancient Khmer ruins that are scattered all over the lands. According to historians, these lands — the northeast of Thailand — belonged to the Khmer dynasty dating back around the 9th–15th centuries; the architecture has an Indian influence, which also tells us how Hinduism thrived in the long past. The surprising thing was not the ruins, but the sign. I had caught sight of many interesting temples along the roads and decided to make a short visit to one ancient shrine. But when I walked into the sacred ground, it came to my attention that my teacher wasn’t right behind me; she stood in confusion as though she was trying to understand something in front of her. I turned back and saw the sign “No Women Allowed” at the mossy gate of the shrine.

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