Shunned by their own families, thousands of Hindu widows make their way to the holy city of Vrindavan in northern India to find solace. But most also end up impoverished and neglected.
Located on the banks of the river Yamuna in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Vrindavan is considered sacred to India’s majority Hindu population. It’s believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most revered gods in Hinduism. With more than 5,000 temples, ashrams of various religious gurus and sects, the town is one the most visited pilgrimage sites in India.
It is also home to more than 10,000 widows, most of them living lives of destitution and neglect and surviving by begging on the streets.
Plight of the Widows
1. Most of the widows died of starvation and had no access to medical treatment.
2. In 2012 National Legal Services told the Supreme Court through a PIL that when a widow died, her body was chopped into pieces and disposed of, as there was no money to pay for the funeral rites.
3. The widows’ plight shocked India’s Supreme Court. Some of them suffered from severe disabilities and had no access to health facilities.
4. The court then asked NALSA to approach Sulabh International, (letter from NALSA to Sulabh) for providing better services and care for the women. Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh stepped in to improve their situation.
Facts
How Sulabh brought a ray of hope and light into the lives of the widows
When I first moved to Vrindavan (in 2012), to get first-hand experience of the condition of the widows, I was a horrified to learn about their heart-wrenching plight. It was inhumane and was a blot on our culture and civilisation.
~ Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak
How Sulabh changed the lives of widows at Vrindavan?
One of the important steps Dr. Pathak took, was to provide the financial security, by distributing the money directly to the widows.
Money offers the widows much-needed security and by paying it to them directly rather than giving it to the officials who run the shelters, we guarantee they have control over the money and they can spend it in the manner they want.
~ Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak
Dr. Pathak’s idea was not just to help them but to bring a smile on their face so that they could live their remaining live with confidence and hope. He showered them with love and affection.
