Breaking Archaic Traditions, Widows Take Part in Holi Celebrations in Vrindavan & Varanasi

While the entire country prepares to bring in Holi tomorrow, widows from Varanasi and Agra indulge in a vibrant four-day celebration for the first time since their husbands passed away, in a tangible step away from the clutches of patriarchal tradition.

”The only wish I have is to celebrate this festival with fervour till the time I live on this earth,” octogenarian Manu Ghosh, who has lived in an ashram for widows in Vrindavan after she lost her husband when she was 37, told Al Jazeera.

The NGO Sulabh International is to thank for making this dream materialise, having organised the Holi event in Pagal Baba Ashram of Vrindavan, which witnessed more than 1,000 widows joining in the celebrations. Sulabh has been working closely with the cause since 2012 as the Supreme Court lambasted the state and Central Government again and again over the pathetic condition of widows of Varanasi, which is called the ‘City Of Widows’ for the sheer number of widows who seek refuge there, most of whom hail from West Bengal.

”Widows in our society are treated worse than animals. I was abandoned by my family to starve and fend for myself. The society thinks we are not worthy of living with them as we lost our husband. I have never celebrated any festival after his death,” 90-year-old Tukna Devi says, who celebrated Holi for the first time in 66 years. Sulabh is taking care of the widows in five government-run shelters by providing Rs 2,000 to each of the widows as well as vocational training and basic education to help them lead a dignified life where they don’t have to beg on the streets. Presently, they are also attempting to humbly bring about a change in the mindset.

“Their participation in Holi symbolises a break from tradition which forbids a widow from wearing coloured saree, among many other things,” said Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh Movement. Widows in India are forbidden from participating in various festivals and auspicious occasions, but Sulabh is slowly affecting a change with regard to this, as it’s been organising Holi celebrations for widows in Vrindavan for the past three years. A trial run of Holi celebrations in Varanasi on 20th February actually resulted in widows requesting if they could travel to Vrindavan for Holi celebrations there, much to their amazement.

More than a 1,000 kilograms of gulaal and colours are being made available to the widows as they seek to break away from the bonds of widowhood which often ostracises them from society, and it’s truly heartwarming to see them revel in the colours and joy of the festival - Holi is, after all, about creating a sense of community. “Hum log khoob holi khelenge aur maze karenge,” said 82-year old Sarita Devi as the widows mix song, dance and colour to leave behind their mundane lives. If these early pictures are anything to go by, it’s going to be one hell of a celebration.