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     Farex Mudiripoyina Bewarse Username: Farex Post Number: 14560 Registered: 10-2010 Posted From: 76.220.127.55 Rating: N/A |
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316493/The-heartbreaking-plight-Indias- widows-How-women-kicked-homes-shunned-society-husbands-die.html The heartbreaking plight of India's widows: How women are kicked out of their homes and shunned by society after their husbands die Amazing photos show how thousands of women travel to holy city of Varanasi to beg for money from pilgrims They are often thrown out of family homes because they are believed to bring bad luck after husbands' death Charity hands out incomes of £24 per month and attempts to re-integrate women into mainstream society These amazing photographs show the heartbreaking plight of India's widows, who are often ostracised from society after the death of their husbands. Elderly women face living on their own or in decrepit ghetto areas, and are prevented from participating in religious festivals and other important communal events. But a new charity initiative aims to re-integrate the widows into the community by providing them with a regular income and allowing them to mix with their neighbours. The women pictured here are from the northern town of Varanasi, the holiest site for Hindus where millions travel on pilgrimage to bathe in the Ganges. Widows are often considered to be cursed, meaning they are thrown out by their families for fear of spreading their bad luck. Many go to live in Varanasi or Vrindavan, another holy city, where they earn a living by begging and are paid pennies to recite prayers in Hindu temples. They are not normally allowed to bathe in the sacred river alongside pilgrims, and are banned from participating in celebrations such as Holi, the annual festival of colour. Now Bindeshwar Pathak, chairman of charity Sulabh International, is spearheading a scheme to raise the status of widows. He has invited 150 of them from Varanasi to start participating fully in the religious life of the city in an effort to end the stigma against them. The charity will also hand out an income of 2,000 rupees (£24) per month for each woman to ensure they can pay for basic needs such as food, clothing and healthcare. Mr Pathak has also called on the country's parliament to pass a new law ensuring the widows' welfare by paying them a basic salary from state funds. Around three per cent of Indian women are said to be widows, and more than half of them have no source of income. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316493/The-heartbreaking-plight-Indias- widows-How-women-kicked-homes-shunned-society-husbands-die.html#ixzz2RsIAAsXu Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Jagamanthati Kutumbham Nadhi |