Diwali brings many joyful moments to every household across the country. This time on the occasion of Diwali, something different and unique is happening in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of widowed women celebrated Diwali at Yamuna Ghat on Tuesday. Many widows celebrate Diwali by lighting lights at Keshgarh on the Yamuna river. The event was organized by Surabha Hope Foundation, a Vrindavan-based NGO.
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Celebrating holidays away from family
The program is also attended by widows from many other states who have either been kicked out of their homes or sent away by their families. She wore a white saree and also made rangolis with colorful flowers. The event was also attended by 70-year-old Chhavi Dasi from West Bengal.
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She said this Diwali reminds her of her childhood and marriage days, when she celebrated the festival without any restrictions. Ratami was present, now 69 years old. She said she never thought she would be able to celebrate Diwali again. Pushpa Adhikari (74) and Ashoka Rani (60) also looked very happy.
“Widows are considered unlucky”
Vineeta Verma, vice-president of the NGO, said: “One of the worst policies of Indian society is that widowhood is considered unlucky. He is always looked down upon. They are separated from their families and forced to live in Vrindavan , Varanasi or Haridwar begging for life.
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So, to combat these bad policies in the society, NGO founder Swargik Bindeshwar Pathak has taken some big decisions like celebrating Holi and Diwali in Vrindavan, which has been going on for 12 years. Our NGO has been celebrating Diwali for the past 12 years. Thousands of widowed women live in Vrindavan, most of them from Bangladesh. They had no chance to participate in such an event until our NGO extended a helping hand to them.
