Breaking the Period Stigma, Nepal Girl Shares Family’s Heartwarming Reaction To Her ‘First Menstruation’ in Viral Video, Know All About Bahra Pikayegu Ritual

Talking about periods has long been a taboo subject. With more open conversations, increased social media engagements around women’s health and even the period emoji – a red droplet symbol, they have pushed to reframe the narrative around menstruation. Women are trying to end the shame and eradicate period poverty. However, dismantling it from the patriarchal system is the ultimate aim. In India, there are many traditions and rituals where the society ‘celebrates’ a young girl’s first menstruation. While a puberty ceremony is often debated as controversial, more as a sign of a girl’s transition to womanhood, instead of the prime focus on a woman’s health, at the same time, these rituals are seen as empowering for an open discussion amid the hush-hush norms associated with it. In a similar move to break the period stigma, a Nepalese girl’s Instagram reel has gone viral, earning nearly 20 million views. The video captures her family’s heartwarming reaction to her first menstruation.’ What seemed to be a part of Nepal’s Bahra Pikayegu ritual, the virality is far from a family’s ‘supportive’ reaction. Let us understand more about the ritual. Menstruation Festivals and Puberty Ceremonies in India: Sacred Rituals Honouring Women’s Menstrual Cycle. 

Breaking the Period Stigma

The Instagram reel in question captured a heartwarming moment of a family, when the young girl announced her ‘first menstruation.’ The viral video captioned, “Your family celebrates your 1st menstruation this way,” has earned nearly 20 million views and over one million likes in just two days of uploading on Instagram. The reel further shows the family members displaying affection by taking a bow, before removing the sheet as they hugged and celebrated their daughter’s transition into womanhood. In a society that often relates menstruation to shame, a family’s celebration captured the internet. Instagram user Aayusha posted the video. Further exploration of her Instagram page confirmed her origin in Nepal. How To Get Your Periods Early Naturally? Safe and Effective Methods To Induce and Regulate Your Menstrual Cycle. 

Nepal Girl Shares Family’s Reaction To Her ‘First Menstruation’

 

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This Is How the Internet Reacted

Bahra Pikayegu in Nepal

What made the above video viral is a large section of women resonating with it, some experiencing the period stigma, while others face acceptance and less shame. It’s all part of a cultural taboo that still holds across parts of Nepal and many other countries, including India. Bahra Tayegu, also known as Bahra Chuyegu, is a rite of passage in the Newar community of Nepal. The ritual involved girls aged seven to 13 practising isolation for 12 days in the name of ‘self-discipline.’ During this ritual, adolescent girls undergo a 12-day period of seclusion in a dark room. The ‘purpose’ is to equip her for the transition into womanhood. The final day is marked with a ‘bhwe,’ a traditional party and celebrations. Much similar to India’s ‘Tuloni Biya’ in Assam, these rituals are marked to celebrate menstruation, but more, through the lens of patriarchy.

Nepal is often associated with increased period stigma. The practice of ‘Chhaupadi huts’ is often described as a ‘stain’ in the country’s conscience. The practice is linked to Hindu beliefs around religious purity and the idea that menstruation is spiritually polluting. In much of the country, this means that a woman who is on her period will avoid visiting temples, prayer rooms and kitchens – in a bid to keep ‘purity.’ However, in parts of the remote west, the extreme version of Chhaupadi means sleeping outside in a hut or shed.

In 2017, the government of Nepal criminalised banishing menstruating women to huts. The practice was previously banned by the country’s Supreme Court in 2005, but without penalties attached. However, the ritual is reportedly followed to date in the rural areas. Despite awareness campaigns, community resistance to change remains significant. Bridging the gap between policy and practice is imperative for menstruation and women’s health to become the centre of discussions, a natural facet of womanhood, not a source of isolation and fear.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2025 03:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).