Description
Odisha celebrates the menstruation of Mother Earth through Raja Parba, yet menstrual stigma remains deeply rooted in the state. Period Chitra, presented by Zee Sarthak’s Naali Bindu, asked: If red isn’t a taboo as a bindi, lipstick, alta or flowers, why is menstrual red? Instead of illustrating an awareness message, we made the illustration the message. We collaborated with local Pattachitra artists to create six artworks that placed menstrual red alongside the reds celebrated in Odisha’s culture. The artworks became a calendar—a familiar object found in Odiya homes—turning a fleeting campaign into a year-long conversation. 20,000 calendars were distributed with sanitary napkins across Odisha. By bringing a traditionally revered art form into people’s homes, we took menstrual blood out of the shadows and put it on the wall. The campaign reached 7M+ through film, 5M+ on social and generated 125K+ engagements.
