thank you all for your comments. well, certainly menstruation is not the the reason behind the denial in my opinion. women are not allowed to participate in any kind of religious rituals, let alone last rite, if they are in period. i think bhate and cleo's comments do make sense. it's because women, in general, are considered to be emotionally weaker. that's the reason why kids are also not allowed to participate. thanks once again! LooTe