Colours were added to the mundane lives of thousands of widows living in the by-lanes of the temple town of Vrindavan when they began Holi celebrations, playing with “gulal”' and flower petals. These widows, joined by their counterparts from Varanasi, are taking part in the four-day long Holi festivities marked by cultural and other events that has been organised by NGO Sulabh International.
Over 1,000 kg of “gulal”' (coloured powder) of different shades and 1,500 kg of rose and flower petals have been arranged for the Holi programme being held at the century-old Pagal Baba Widow Ashram. The revelries began with much fanfare and included music and dance performances.
Terming the unique event as an important step towards breaking social stigma attached to widows, Sulabh International’s head Bindeshwar Pathak said: “Their participation in Holi symbolises a break from tradition which forbids a widow from wearing coloured saree and celebrate festivals, among many other things...Special Holi celebrations for widows is an effort to bring them from the margins into the mainstream.''
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Vrindavan is also known as the ‘City of Widows’ for the sheer number of women who have found shelter here after being shunned by their families. Most of them hail from West Bengal. The Supreme Court has time and again lambasted the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for the pathetic condition of widows living in Vrindavan. On Supreme Court's intervention, Sulabh International has been carrying out various welfare programmes for the widows of Vrindavan and Varanasi and making arrangements for their healthcare, food and other daily necessities.