Colour of Widows

Hundreds of widows at the Meera Sahabhagini Ashram in Vrindavan revel in a shower of flowers in a unique celebration of Holi on 24 March. They dance to traditional songs and throw gulal or coloured powder at each other. In previous years, Holi would be a quiet affair within the ashram. This time, an initiative by Sulabh International, which has been working for the welfare of widows and abandoned women in the city, has had them break away from a hoary tradition that forbids them from celebrating this festival of colour

Hundreds of widows at the Meera Sahabhagini Ashram in Vrindavan revel in a shower of flowers in a unique celebration of Holi on 24 March. They dance to traditional songs and throw gulal or coloured powder at each other. In previous years, Holi would be a quiet affair within the ashram. This time, an initiative by Sulabh International, which has been working for the welfare of widows and abandoned women in the city, has had them break away from a hoary tradition that forbids them from celebrating this festival of colour

About The Author

Ashish Sharma

Ashish Sharma is an award-winning photojournalist with a lens that captures the 'moment' in its minutest detail. With over a decade in photojournalism, he is currently Deputy Photo Editor at Open Magazine

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