Gone are the days when women are killed in the neme of obsolete funeral custom.  Gone are the days when women used to follow widowhood even if they lost their husbands at a very young age.  Though Sati Sahagamana does not exist in India anymore, there still exists widowhood.  With the changing time, we humans have to change.  The traditions and customs change from time to time.  Recently, the steroetype that widows should follow widowhood has been broken by few widows marking a new change.

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According to the age-old Indian traditions, Hindu widows should never involve in festivities, colours, material possessions or beautify themselves in anyway.  They should always wear white saris and and be involved in spiritual practices all the time.  Hence they used to be kept away from the festival Holi, which is a festival of colors.

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However since sometime now, widows have walked on those unjust traditions that stopped them from celebrating Holi.  Thousands of widows at Vrindavan and in Varanasi, where more number of widows live, came together to play Holi!  The women used colors and flowers to play the festival of colors.  Though they all were dressed in white initially, they colored their dresses with different colors by playing Holi.

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Sulab International breaks free widowhood

All thanks to Sulab International for its head turning move.  They invited widows from five widow Ashrams in the Vrindavan area.  Sulab also organized Raas Leela for the widows in which they danced their heart out. It is really a great move by Sulab to bring out the widows from behind the tightly closed doors.

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By participating the Holi celebrations, these women have thwarted oppression and emerged triumphant.  It is high time we stand against the age-old customs and traditions that drag us down from growing.  It is time we break the walls that restrict us from being what we are and what we want to be.  We wish this great move will bring more and more changes in the society and the widows of Vrindavan and Varanasi break free the unjust customs set on them time and again.

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Published by Mamatha Reddy on 22 Mar 2019