On 28 February, two days before Holi, a group of five widows from Vrindavan set out to meet PM Narendra Modi. The women carried with them 11 big earthen pots of herbal gulaal and sweets for the PM. One participant told ANI:
I am going to Delhi to celebrate Holi with PM Modi and I am taking the sacred colours of Vrindvan along with me. I will try to convince him to celebrate this year holy with the us in Vrindavan.Shurbi Sharma, Vrindavan Widow
On 27 February, the widows of Vrindavan played Holi at the historic Gopinath temple in Vrindavan for the sixth consecutive year breaking a tradition that forced them to lead the life of a recluse, PTI reported. As per the report, the women played with over 1,600 kilograms of flower petals and 1,600 kilograms of gulaal – a spectacle that also drew large crowds, including several tourists.
While widows were earlier barred from participating in this festival of colours, things changed for the better in 2012, when the women broke the shackles of an over 400-year-old tradition to partake in the festival.
(With inputs from PTI)
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