Widows in Vrindavan celebrate Diwali

Breaking an age-old taboo, a large number of widows celebrated Diwali on the bank of Yamuna at the historic KC Ghat in Vrindavan on Friday.

Breaking an age-old taboo, a large number of widows celebrated Diwali on the bank of Yamuna at the historic KC Ghat in Vrindavan on Friday.

This is the seventh year in a row when they participated in the celebrations. Besides lighting colourful earthen lamps, the widows sang ‘bhajans’.

With an aim to bring a ray of happiness in these women’s lives and counter the tradition of widowhood, social reformer Bindeshwar Pathak of Sulabh Movement came up with this unique idea to organise the festival of lights, especially for the widows.

His organisation looks after hundreds of widows living in various ashrams in Vrindavan and Varanasi since 2012.

Sulabh has been playing a leading role in adding mirth to the lives of the widows by organising other functions for them from time to time.

On a routine basis, Sulabh provides them medical facilities and vocational training, besides meeting their day-to-day needs so that the women do not feel left out in the twilight years of their lives.

“Motivated by the series of initiatives being spearheaded by the mentor of Sulabh Movement, widows are now happy and enjoying stay in Vrindavan,” said Manu Ghosh, 94.

Around a thousand widows, mostly from West Bengal, live in Vrindavan for decades and they were not allowed to take part in rituals, till NGO Sulabh International extended a helping hand to them.

Breaking several established traditions, Sulabh International helped widows to take part in a series of rituals to join mainstream of the society during the last seven years.

In places like Varanasi and Vrindavan, hundreds of widows lead an isolated life to attain ‘moksha’ (or liberation) from the cycle of death and rebirth. Living in small rooms in narrow alleys, they spend most of their time praying and looking for food, in absence of family support.