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WORLD NEWSTuesday 22 March 2016

Breaking taboo, Hindu widows celebrate festival of colors

BISWAJEET BANERJEE Samaddar, who appeared

Associated Press to be in her early 30s. The

VRINDAVAN, India (AP) — powder made her white

Aruna Samaddar threw sari and those of the wid-

fistfuls of colored powder ows around her shimmer in

into the air. Blue and red myriad colors. So deep is

and green, the cheerful the ostracization of widows

colors settled on her white that they’re often shunned

sari and all over other by their families and forced

women nearby. In most of to seek shelter in temples.

India, widows like Samad- The holy city of Vrindavan,

dar have no place in this in India’s Uttar Pradesh

joyful celebration of Holi, state, is known as the City

the Hindu festival of col- of Widows because it has

ors. The country’s millions given so many women

of observant Hindu widows shelter. And in recent years,

are expected to live out widows have found a bit of

their days in quiet worship, color and joy here as well.

dressed only in white. They Aid group Sulabh Interna-

are typically barred from all tional has been organizing

religious festivities because regular Holi celebrations in

their very presence is con- Vrindavan since 2013. Sa-

sidered inauspicious. maddar and more than

So for Samaddar, Mon- 1,000 other widows gath- Hindu widows apply colour powder to each other during Holi celebrations at the Gopinath tem-
day’s celebration was a joy ered in the courtyard of ple, 180 kilometres (112 miles) south-east of New Delhi, India, Monday, March 21, 2016.

long denied. one of the city’s oldest tem- Associated Press

“I am so happy. I am play- ples — devoted to Krishna, falls on Thursday this year, other parts of the country, and into prostitution. While
ing Holi after 12 years. I am the most playful of the Hin- but in Vrindavan and many the playing of colors begins there are tens of thousands
happy, very happy,” said du gods. The festival of Holi a week ahead. of widows in Vrindavan, the

Hindu priests chanted re- group has been appointed

ligious verses as hundreds caretaker for about 1,500.

of widows splashed col- The organization looks af-

ored powders and played ter their basic needs and

with water pistols filled with gives them a stipend of

colored water. Showers of 2,000 rupees ($30) to buy

flower petals filled the air. essentials. They are taught

As loud music blasted, the to make incense sticks

younger women jostled and garlands to ensure

with each other as they that they can earn a small

played with the colors. amount of money on their

For dozens of older women, own. But for most part, the

years of social conditioning women spend the day

proved hard to break. They singing hymns to Krishna,

applied only tiny dots of for which they earn 10 ru-

color to each other’s fore- pees (15 cents).

heads. “Their participation The women range in age

in Holi symbolizes a break from 22 to 100. Some were

from tradition, which forbids abandoned by their fami-

a widow from wearing a lies decades ago.

colored sari, among many While some women were

other things,” said Bindesh- not comfortable joining in

war Pathak, the head of the celebration of colors

Sulabh International. Samaddar was determined

Sulabh was asked to over- to have at least one day of

see the lives of widows of cheer. “We have got just

the city by India’s Supreme one day to celebrate life,”

Court following news re- she said as she tossed the

ndian Hindu widows throw flower petals and colored powder during Holi celebrations at the Gopi- ports of the widows be- colors joyfully. “Let’s do it to
nath temple, 180 kilometres (112 miles) south-east of New Delhi, India, Monday, March 21, 2016. ing forced to beg for food the hilt.”q

Associated Press