Though Holi is the name to fill the life of everyone, colors are the specialty of this festival, yet a section of society remains deprived of it.Due to social conservatism and lack of practical knowledge, our society keeps the widow class isolated from itself.
The life of their wives becomes difficult due to the absence of the husband, everything becomes false. By the way, social restrictions are now very low – such as becoming a sati with the husband’s funeral pyre, or social exclusion of the wife if there is no husband, to cut her hairstyle or not to give them a good taste, separate from home Etc., but due to mental depression they still have to go through, even today people consider widows to be inauspicious, due to the lack of luck of their husbands, their head comes without any reason. Whose escape from life and left just a white color.
These evils are still alive in some parts of the country.But Vrindavan is a place where there is a shelter for the lives of widows.This is the Leela Bhoomi of Lord Krishna, there is love for everyone, there is compassion.
The women residing in the widow’s ashram here are immersed in Krishna devotion, staying at their feet and making life successful.Although Holi is celebrated on a large scale here, but the widow class was still deprived.But due to social change, this initiative was taken to end this evil by an organization called”Sulabh International”. The founding social worker of the institution, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, understood the pain of widows and encouraged them to move forward in the society, made them self-reliant, inspired them to join the society.
Sulabh Sanstha started Holi for widows in 2016, about 3 years ago. It was Started from the famous Gopinath temple.
The widow women, apart from the white color, also enjoyed the colors.Many widows singing the songs of Kanha played Holi with Abir Gulal, Phool, Rang, Pichkari.Krishna celebrated this festival by singing dance in love.
Kanha, a woman steeped in love and devotion with everyone, for a while, feels herself free from every bondage and pain, laughing and smiling, living life.
Holi of Vrindavan is indeed alive and Holi played with widows symbolizes that the relationship with the world is transitory but the relationship with God is lifelong even till death.
And it is also a social example that if something is wrong, it can be corrected, whether it is custom or tradition. Since 2016, every year this Holi is celebrated in the Gopinath Ashram with great pomp, the widow class celebrates Holi every year with the same enthusiasm as other people of the society.
