Widows break away from age-old taboo and celebrate Holi in Vrindavan
Clad in white saree, a large number of widows gathered at one of the oldest Krishna temples in the crowded Gopinath Bazaar in Vrindavan braving the morning chill and splashed colours on each other.
Shunning age-old taboo, widows from Varanasi and Vrindavan played Holi on the premises of the 400-year-old Gopinath Temple on Thursday.Clad in white saree, a large number of widows gathered at one of the oldest Krishna temples in the crowded Gopinath Bazaar in Vrindavan braving the morning chill and splashed colours on each other.A large numbers of widows from Varanasi also participated in the event organised by social activist Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of NGO Sulabh International."Their participation in Holi symbolises a break from tradition which forbids a widow from wearing coloured saree, among many other things," Pathak said.1,500 kg 'gulal' (coloured powder) and 1,500 kg of petals were arranged for the event, the NGO said in a press release.The NGO has been paying Rs 2,000 to 800 widows living in eight Ashrams in Vrindavan and Varanasi for the last five years, the release added.