This Diwali, the widows of Vrindavan spent Diwali 2014 lighting diyas along the banks of the Yamuna. They have decided to use the holiday to spread awareness about the need for environmental conservation of the river.

Their celebration is significant not only for the environmental consciousness they preach, but also because of their social status within society. This widows have been abandoned by their families, and they are not “supposed to be” celebrating holidays like Diwali. The Vrindavan widows have recently gained fame for breaking those social constraints. They celebrated Holi

Slab International has been running ashrams for these widows for years, and they provide these opportunities for the widows. They run seven ashrams in Vrindavan and they colorfully decorated them with lights and diyas. “Sulabh will continue with its nationwide campaign for the welfare of widows,” founder of the organization, Bindeshwar Pathak,  said.

Hopefully, the diyas bring light into the lives of these women as they work to counter the oppressive environment, and their efforts to help raise awareness about the pollution in the river raises enough awareness to help clean it up.