Thousands of widows of Vrindavan and women abandoned by their families celebrated Diwali by lighting diyas at the Keshi Ghat on the Yamuna river in Mathura.
Dressed in white saris, the widows also made a colourfulrangoli using flower petals.
For 70-year-old Chhavi Dasi, a native of West Bengal, the celebration reminded her of her youth when she celebrated all festivals freely.
Ratami, 69, said she had never thought that she would celebrate Diwali again.
Pushpa Adhikari (74) and Ashoka Rani (60), both from West Bengal, were also visibly happy.
The celebrations were organised by NGO Sulabh Hope Foundation.
"One of the evil practices that came into Hindu society was to consider widows inauspicious," said Sulabh Hope Foundation Vice President Vineeta Verma. "They were looked down upon, separated from their families and forced to spend the rest of their lives begging in pilgrimage places like Vrindavan, Varanasi and Haridwar."
To counter this social evil, Sulabh's founder the late Bindeshwar Pathak took a series of steps like celebrating Diwali and Holi in Vrindavan about 12 years ago. Sulabh has been organising Diwali celebrations every year since then, Verma said.
Thousands of widows, mostly from West Bengal, live in Vrindavan. They were not allowed to take part in any rituals, Verma said, till Sulabh International extended a helping hand to them.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com
