Introduction

In India, it is considered a bad omen to have a widow at a wedding, as it is considered to bring the same fate upon the bride. This along with countless other superstitions about widows makes the lives of these women extremely difficult and trying. A businessman in Gujarat, Jitendra Patel, wanted to overcome the taboo and backwards beliefs and invited 18,000 widows to bless his son and daughter-in-law at their wedding.

The Invitation

The widows were from all over north Gujarat and hailed from Banaskantha, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Patan and Aravalli districts. Mr. Patel told Times of India:

“It was my heartfelt desire that the couple should be blessed by widows, who are mostly neglected by the society. Their presence is considered a bad omen at auspicious functions but I wanted to prove that all these beliefs are nothing but superstitions.”

He provided the widows with a blanket and a sapling that the widows are to nurture in their backyard. Some widows were also presented with a cow to help them financially.

One widow, Hansa Thakore, told Times of India:

“I can hope of earning a decent livelihood now that I have a cow. I never expected getting so much importance after becoming a widow.”

The importance is not that the women were giving a cow, but how important they felt upon receiving such importance from a stranger. Mr. Patel has set a standard for all of us in how we proactively combat society’s dangerous views.

Conclusion

Although this is only one action by one man, it points towards a slow but necessary change in the way people treat widows. It is sad that Indians still see these women as inauspicious for something they had no control over and no role in causing.

While India has come a long way from the days of sati, there is still a long way to go in integrating widows seamlessly in India society.

Spread this awesome news to share with others how Indian society is changing afterall!