New Delhi: A proposal by a senior official at an Indian temple, to install machines to detect menstruating women, has sparked outrage on social networking sites.

The Sabarimala temple board chief’s controversial suggestions triggered a campaign called “Happy to Bleed”, which is protesting against menstrual taboos and alleged sexism by temple authorities.

Only prepubescent and post-menopausal women are allowed into the shrine. Women of menstruating age are barred.

Nikita Azad is said to be spearheading the social media campaign, which was launched first on Facebook on November 21.

“Devaswom chief of Sabrimala temple has given a sexist statement that once purity checking machines that check whether it is ‘right time’ or not [whether women are menstruating or not] are invented, he will think about letting women enter. By this statement, he has reinforced misogyny and strengthened myths that revolve around women,” Azad wrote on the “Happy To Bleed” Facebook page.

“Happy To Bleed” argues menstruation as a natural activity which does not need curtains to hide behind.

The protest, which is said to be garnering massive support, calls on women to hold placards, sanitary napkins or charts written “Happy To Bleed”, and to post pictures on their profiles or the campaign’s page, “to oppose the shame game played by patriarchal society since ages.”

Azad has also written an open letter to Travancore Devaswom Board President Prayar Gopalakrishnan protesting against gender bias and sexism practised by the temple authorities.

“I am definitely ‪#HappytoBleed‬ all over patriarchy. More power to all equal rights movements,” Niharika Gupta posted on the campaign page.

“Sabarimala is the only Ayyappa temple that does not permit young women to enter. No other Ayyappa temple prevents women from entering, though the same [deity] sits in all these temples. I guess it is more about male prejudice than God or religion,” posted Avantika Sharma on Twitter.

Social activist Madhulika Jain said the statement by the temple board’s head were “ridiculous and unfortunate”.

“Such statements are nothing but signs of patriarchy. Time and again women are subjected to such ridicule and harrasment. It is high time all women stand up and protest this,” Jain wrote on Twitter.

“I thought men and women were created equal but today I am shattered to know that for one of the biggest historic temples in India, bleeding is a sin,” tweeted Sunaina Bhaskar.