The weirdest taboos related to women, I have ever come across...

From being just limited to doing household work, today the women of India have come a long way. Women these days are reaching new horizons, excelling in each and every field, competing with men.

While we have moved into the 20^th Century and have excelled in many fields, but there are still a lot of old age beliefs and social taboos that exist in our society which somewhere holds us back. On the occasion of International Women's Day, we quizzed some of the leading ladies of television to opine about the weirdest taboos related to women that they have ever come across.

Read on to know what they shared...

Niti Taylor: Don't touch the pickle is the weirdest taboo! Though it was never followed at my house but if I would go to my grandma's or some of my friends' place, during that time of the month, I would always hear 'Don't touch the pickle, it will get spoilt' and trust me.. I have touched, eaten and licked the pickle several times and nothing has ever happened to the pickle! And as far as I was concerned, my meals became more delicious.

Helly Shah: There is no fast that men have to keep for women. Its only the women who keep fasting for them.. and it is compulsory for women to fast on certain occasions.

Preetika Rao: The mentality that a male child brings fortune to the family, still exists in the rural areas. In spite of so much of awareness and education, there are some people in the rural India, who prefer having a male child over a girl because they think that they will need to give dowry to get their daughter married and she will move on to another house whereas, the boy becomes the bread owner of the family and stays with them. People still believe that having a girl child is a misfortune. I think it will take around a decade for education and awareness to empower women to break this social taboo.

Rubina Dilaik: I am from the north and there is this thing that during our chums we are not allowed in the temples. During our cycle, entering temples is considered unholy. There is also one more thing that women should be kept in a secluded place. Secluded as in, should not be allowed to enter the kitchen!

Neha Sargam: Having a period is the biggest taboo among the women. Its difficult for us to convince the production people that we are down and it would be little difficult for us. I think its not something to be ashamed of because this is the reason we can create another life. I don't think we should hide it. I am free to talk about it. We were not allowed to enter the kitchen and puja room and later on I realized that why it was so. We shouldn't make it a such a big issue.   

Kavita Kaushik: I find the whole taboo over women being impure during her periods and banned from visiting holy places very weird, some places n customs don't allow women to enter the kitchen also which by the way stems from the ancient tradition of actually letting her rest during her monthly painful time, but now people blindly think and follow the taboo over a woman on her period. This is a country where the goddesses are worshipped, why do we forget that they are as female as us mortals and nature should be respected, especially the cycle which is responsible for the birth of humankind.