The Ideal Indian Woman: Defined by Hindu Nationalism and Culture

Abstract

This paper discusses how the notion of “ideal femininity” is understood in the Indian context. I propose the term Sati Savitri aurat (woman) to describe this ideal image of an Indian woman. The paper argues that the modern Sati Savitri woman must embody three values that make her truly an ideal Indian woman in the eyes of society. Those values are modesty, marriageability and silence. The combination of these values makes an Indian woman socially respected and desirable. These themes reverberated when I asked my interview participants, 10 female journalists from diverse age groups, about the concept of an ideal Indian woman. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with these women journalists and their ideas about formulation of the concept of “ideal Indian woman” were recorded and analysed. In this paper, I categorise their responses into the three values (modesty, marriageability and silence) and thereby propose that the embodiment of all these values constitute the modern Sati Savitri, a prototype for middle-class Hindu women. By proposing this concept of Sati Savitri, a Hindu mythological idea, I argue that respectable norms for women’s sexuality are located within the discourse of Hindu nationalism and culture.