Mariana Zilbershteyn, Widows of Vrindavan (PEOPLE 2023)

On March 6 2023 hundreds of widows from shelter homes and ashrams in Vrindavan gathered at the Gopinath Temple (Uttar Pradesh, India) to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours. Most of the widows originate from West Bengal and travel to Vrindavan in search of peace and salvation. The widows are compelled by society to live a life of loneliness, despair and poverty. Since 2013 the widows have been permitted to celebrate Holi. This brings them a sense of belonging and they celebrate by showering flower petals on each other and singing traditional Holi song with their faces smeared with colours.

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