This Holi, A Festival Of Flowers For Vrindavan Widows

It will be a rare first for Meera Sahbhagini ashram, home for 300-odd widows in Vrindavan. On Sunday, this century-old ashram will celebrate, for the first time in its history, the gaieties of Holi. Meera ashram is one of the five government-run centres for widows who have lived lives of selfmortifying rituals. 
    
Tradition allowed these widows to play Holi only with Thakurji or Lord Krishna, and not with each other. But they’ve been wanting to play with colours with each other as well. In all, the five government-run ashrams are home to more than 800 widows. 
    
“They expressed their desire to play Holi. So we organised the event for them,” said founder of Sulabh International, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak. Around 400 kg of flowers of different colours will reach the ashrams for the dowagers, who asked for the blossoms to play Holi with. 
    
Sulabh International, a leading campaigner for sanitation, is working for the empowerment of these widows. In August 2012, the Supreme Court directed the UP government to ensure proper cremation and last rites for the widows in Vrindavan. It also suggested that Sulabh may be contacted for help. Since then the NGO is taking care of widows providing them healthcare and a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000. 
    
The women are also learning English and make some money for themselves preparing ‘agarbattis’ and garlands. “This has instilled security in these women and now they want to live normal lives. Playing Holi could be the first step,” said a Sulabh volunteer. 
    
The plans are not only for the widows to play holi, but also participate in cultural programmes during the three-day festivities. The infirm and the very old or fragile ones might not play, but others will take part in the festivities which would also include dining with the guests. 
    
“It’s aimed at changing social attitude towards widows,” said Pathak. “There are several widows in the ashrams who lost their husbands at 16 or 17 and have since lived obscure lives, abandoned by their families and waiting for ‘moksha’.” At the fag end of their lives, this Holi might be the first step towards restoration of their dignity.