Story highlights Anisha Bhavnani was reprimanded for entering a temple while she had her period

"I refuse to be treated as less capable, weaker, dirty or impure," she writes

Have a personal essay to share with the world? Submit via CNN iReport

First Person is a series of personal essays exploring identity and personal points of view that shape who we are. The latest contributor, Anisha Bhavnani, is an 18-year-old student in Mumbai, India. She is studying social sciences and humanities at St. Xavier's College. A version of this piece first appeared on CNN iReport and her personal blog, Adoxographia.

(CNN) Six years ago, I was in the fifth grade and my teachers were planning a school trip to the nearby town of Karjat. A hundred chatty students were to go there by bus, engage in a little sightseeing and return at night.

At that age, getting a monthly visit from a certain bloody friend was relatively uncommon. The boys were kept in the dark and my friends and I talked about it in hushed tones. Getting one's period was frightening and no one was particularly excited about this coming of age rite. To make us feel more comfortable, the teachers asked us to inform them if we got our periods and reassured us that we'd be taken care of.

I got mine on the day of the trip. It wasn't my first time, but I informed a teacher anyway and hopped on the bus.

One of the places of interest in Karjat was a huge, historic temple. My classmates and I went inside and marveled at the carvings (or picked our noses; I don't remember). As we exited, another teacher pulled me aside and asked me if I had my period. I said yes. Her expression changed instantly and in a terrifying, angry voice, she told me this:

"How did you go inside the temple then? Don't you know you're not supposed to? Hasn't your mother told you that you can't step inside a temple when you have your period? Call your mother tomorrow; I want to meet her!"

Read More