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In PHOTOS: Vrindavan widows' 'Rang Barse' moment

March 18, 2014 10:30 IST

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Image: Widows daubed in colours as they take part in Holi celebrations organised by non-governmental organisation Sulabh International at a widows' ashram in Vrindavan
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Shunning the shackles of social stigma, about 1,000 widows, played Holi with colours and gulal at Meera Sahabhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. 

It was for the first time that the widows gathered in such a large number to play Holi with gulal and water colour at the 200-year-old ashram.

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Image: A widow throws coloured water during Holi celebrations at the ashram
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

They poured colour on each other in the presence of a large number of tourists and followers of Lord Krishna in the pilgrim town of Vrindavan.

Countering the age-old social evil of widowhood, several widows have taken shelter in this holy city.

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Lord Krishna Vrindavan
Image: A widow plays 'dholak' during Holi celebrations at the ashram
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

It was a remarkable sight when the widows, mostly in the 70s and 80s, stooping low with age, danced and splashed more than 500 kg of gulal and gallons of water colours on each other.

Last year, these widows had played Holi with flower petals.

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Image: Widows dance as they take part in Holi celebrations at the ashram
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

The initiative was taken by Sulabh International, which is working for improving the condition of the widows and bringing them to the mainstream besides ensuring their social assimilation.

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Sulabh International
Image: Widows spray coloured water on each other during Holi celebrations
Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

The organisation looks after a thousand widows living in five ashrams in Vrindavan.

As part of Holi celebrations, Sulabh also organised traditional dance programme ‘Raas-Leela’ and other events for them at widow ashrams.

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Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

A widow throws coloured powder in air during Holi celebrations at the ashram in Vridanvan on Monday.

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Vridanvan

Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

A widow daubed in colours dances during the bash celebrating Holi.

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Photographs: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Widows smeared in colour sing during the Holi celebrations on Tuesday.

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Rang Barse

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