Threshold of Chastity and Civilization
June 24th, 2005She was told not to cross the threshold of her husband’s house. She stepped out, nevertheless, and ended up being rejected by society. The story of Sita’s rejection forms the controversial conclusion of the much-revered Hindu epic Ramayana (so much so, that a few versions of the narrative edit out the episode altogether). At the heart of the plot is the concept of Laxmana-rekha, the line that must not be crossed, the line that circumscribes Hindu ideas of duty, decorum, chastity and civilization.