Purda

Purda

Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu پردہ, पर्दा, meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of sex segregation prevalent among some Muslim, Zoroastrian, and Hindu communities in South Asia. The purdah garment is the same as a burqa, or yashmak, i.e. a veil to conceal the face. The practice generally takes two forms: social segregation of the sexes and the requirement that women cover their bodies, as well as traditionally the faces. A woman who practices purdah can be referred to as pardanashin or purdahnishan. Practices that restricted women's mobility and behavior existed among religious groups in India and Zoroastrian Iran since ancient times and intensified with the arrival of Islam. By the 19th century, purdah became customary among Hindu elites. Purdah was not strictly observed by lower-class women. Physical segregation within buildings is achieved with judicious use of walls, curtains, and screens. A woman's withdrawal into purdah usually restricts her personal, social and economic activities outside her home. Married Hindu women in parts of…