Vrindavan, Nov. 6 -- Hundreds of widows from Vrindavan, who till the recent past were barred from religious festivities, illuminated the historic Gopinath Temple as they took part in a special Diwali celebration on Friday. The event was organised by Sulabh International as part of its initiative to bring widowed mothers into the mainstream of society and restore their dignity.
For generations in India, widows were considered "inauspicious" and excluded from festivals and auspicious occasions. Initiatives like this seek to break that social stigma and ensure their rightful participation in cultural life.
Thousands of mothers, mostly from West Bengal, have been living in Vrindavan for decades and were not allowed to take part in rituals, ti...