Why Do Indians Worship Female Goddesses but Oppress Women? The Hypocrisy No One Talks About!
Nikita Kanyal | Feb 23, 2025, 22:18 IST
India venerates strong goddesses Durga, Kali, Lakshmi yet actual women continue to encounter violence, discrimination, and oppression. How can a community that reveres the divine feminine still evaluate, control, and silence its women? From violence against women to unequal standards in power, education, and freedom, this article reveals India’s most significant hypocrisy. Adoring goddesses won’t safeguard women, but transforming mindsets will. Is India prepared to respect its women as deeply as it does its deities? Or is the worship of goddesses merely a convenient justification to overlook real problems?
India is home to goddesses of power, wisdom, and wealth—yet the same society that worships them also oppresses real women. How can a culture that bows before Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati still struggle with gender equality?
This isn’t just irony it’s one of the biggest contradictions in Indian society. From Sati to dowry deaths, gender pay gaps, and moral policing, why do people celebrate the divine feminine while restricting, controlling, and even punishing women in real life? The answer will shock you!
Goddesses Are Worshipped—But Women Are Not Respected
India is one of the few civilizations that reveres the feminine as divine. Temples overflow with devotees praying to:Yet, in the same society:
How does a nation that worships goddesses fail to respect its women?
The Double Standards of Culture & Religion
Here’s the bitter truth: People don’t worship goddesses because they respect women. They worship them because they need something.
Society loves the idea of powerful women but only when it’s convenient.
How Ancient India Treated Women vs. Modern India
Ancient India wasn’t always this way. Hindu texts reveal a different story:
But over time, colonial rule, patriarchy, and twisted interpretations of religion led to restrictions like:This wasn’t the original Hindu way so why do people defend it in the name of "tradition"?
5 Ways Indian Society Still Fails Women Today
1. Girls Are Prayed For—But Not Wanted
Families perform "Kanya Pujan" during Navratri to honor young girls as divine. But the same families abort female fetuses or treat daughters as burdens.
2. Women in Power Are Criticized More Than Men
People celebrate goddesses leading wars, yet call female leaders "too emotional." Women politicians, CEOs, and activists face more scrutiny than their male counterparts.
3. Menstruation Is Considered "Impure"
Kamakhya Devi, the menstruating goddess, is worshipped. Yet, real women are banned from temples and kitchens when on their period.
4. Marriage Is Still Seen as a Woman’s Ultimate Goal
Sita is praised for her devotion to Ram but modern women are shamed for divorce or not marrying. "Good girls" are expected to sacrifice everything for their husbands.
5. Victim Blaming & Moral Policing
Women praying to Kali for strength are told not to be "too bold" in real life. If a woman is harassed, people question her clothes instead of her attacker’s actions.
This isn’t just hypocrisy it’s a deep-rooted mindset that needs to change.
So, Can Worshipping Goddesses Change Society?
If India truly wants to honor its goddesses, it needs to respect its real women first.
✔ Teach boys to respect women, not just pray to goddesses.
✔ Raise strong, educated daughters—not just "perfect wives."
✔ Fight against gender-based violence, rather than covering it up.
✔ Encourage women to be independent, not just "good daughters-in-law."
Because real devotion isn’t just about temples—it’s about action.
Worship Is Meaningless Without Equality
India takes pride in its goddess-worshipping culture, but the real test is Does it honor women in everyday life?
A country that truly respects its goddesses should:
✅ Empower women.
✅ Fight for gender equality.
✅ Smash patriarchy disguised as "tradition."
Until then, the worship of female deities will remain an empty ritual.
This isn’t just irony it’s one of the biggest contradictions in Indian society. From Sati to dowry deaths, gender pay gaps, and moral policing, why do people celebrate the divine feminine while restricting, controlling, and even punishing women in real life? The answer will shock you!
Goddesses Are Worshipped—But Women Are Not Respected
Nation that worships goddesses fail to respect its women
( Image credit : Pixabay )
India is one of the few civilizations that reveres the feminine as divine. Temples overflow with devotees praying to:
- Durga – The warrior goddess who defeats evil
- Saraswati – The goddess of wisdom and learning
- Lakshmi – The goddess of wealth and prosperity
- Kali – The fierce protector and destroyer of injustice
- Women are judged for their clothing and behavior.
- Gender-based violence, dowry harassment, and honor killings persist.
- Women are told to be "good wives" instead of independent individuals.
- Female leadership is rarely encouraged outside of religious contexts.
The Double Standards of Culture & Religion
- Lakshmi is prayed to for wealth—but women asking for financial independence are seen as "too ambitious."
- Saraswati is worshipped for wisdom—but educated, opinionated women are often silenced.
- Durga is celebrated for slaying demons—but real women who fight injustice are called "too aggressive."
How Ancient India Treated Women vs. Modern India
Keeping women hidden and controlled.
( Image credit : Pexels )
Ancient India wasn’t always this way. Hindu texts reveal a different story:
- Women were once allowed to study the Vedas (Gargi and Maitreyi were great scholars).
- Swayamvaras gave women the right to choose their husbands.
- Matrilineal societies thrived in various parts of India.
- Child marriages & Sati – Practices that turned women into property.
- The Purdah System – Keeping women hidden and controlled.
- "A woman’s place is in the home" – A mindset that still dominates today.
5 Ways Indian Society Still Fails Women Today
kanyapujan
( Image credit : Freepik )
1. Girls Are Prayed For—But Not Wanted
Families perform "Kanya Pujan" during Navratri to honor young girls as divine. But the same families abort female fetuses or treat daughters as burdens.
2. Women in Power Are Criticized More Than Men
People celebrate goddesses leading wars, yet call female leaders "too emotional." Women politicians, CEOs, and activists face more scrutiny than their male counterparts.
3. Menstruation Is Considered "Impure"
Kamakhya Devi, the menstruating goddess, is worshipped. Yet, real women are banned from temples and kitchens when on their period.
4. Marriage Is Still Seen as a Woman’s Ultimate Goal
Sita is praised for her devotion to Ram but modern women are shamed for divorce or not marrying. "Good girls" are expected to sacrifice everything for their husbands.
5. Victim Blaming & Moral Policing
Women praying to Kali for strength are told not to be "too bold" in real life. If a woman is harassed, people question her clothes instead of her attacker’s actions.
This isn’t just hypocrisy it’s a deep-rooted mindset that needs to change.
So, Can Worshipping Goddesses Change Society?
Domestic violence
( Image credit : Pixabay )
- Praying to Durga won’t protect women from violence.
- Worshipping Lakshmi won’t close the gender pay gap.
- Singing hymns to Saraswati won’t ensure girls get an education.
If India truly wants to honor its goddesses, it needs to respect its real women first.
✔ Teach boys to respect women, not just pray to goddesses.
✔ Raise strong, educated daughters—not just "perfect wives."
✔ Fight against gender-based violence, rather than covering it up.
✔ Encourage women to be independent, not just "good daughters-in-law."
Because real devotion isn’t just about temples—it’s about action.
Worship Is Meaningless Without Equality
A country that truly respects its goddesses should:
✅ Empower women.
✅ Fight for gender equality.
✅ Smash patriarchy disguised as "tradition."
Until then, the worship of female deities will remain an empty ritual.