A tribute to Shahu Maharaj: Kolhapur village bans ‘widow rituals’

A tribute to Shahu Maharaj: Kolhapur village bans ‘widow rituals’

Herwad village in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur district on May 4 passed a resolution banning the practice of women breaking bangles, wiping off 'kumkum' (vermillion) from the forehead and removing the mangalsutra of a widow

AgenciesUpdated: Monday, May 09, 2022, 09:44 AM IST
article-image
A 19th-century painting depicting the act of sati | Wikimedia Commons

Pune: A village in Kolhapur district in Maharashtra has shown the way in the death centenary year of social reformer king Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj by getting all its residents to endorse a ban on funerary practices carried out to make a woman aware she was a widow.

Herwad village in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur district on May 4 passed a resolution banning the practice of women breaking bangles, wiping off 'kumkum' (vermillion) from the forehead and removing the mangalsutra of a widow as part of rituals that have been handed down over time, said its gram panchayat sarpanch Surgonda Patil.

He told PTI that Pramod Zinjade, founder-president of Mahatma Phule Samaj Seva Mandal in Karmala tehsil of Solapur, took the initiative and encouraged the gram panchayat to pass a resolution to ban this "insulting" way to reinforce to a woman that she was now a widow.

“We feel very proud of this resolution as it has made Herwad a torch-bearer for other gram panchayats,” Patil said.

Anjali Pailwan (35), a resident of Arjunwad village, who lost her husband in 2020, said she reached out to Zinjade after learning about the initiative.

“I told him about my painful experience of being a widow and expressed my wish to do something for women like me. To start with, from Gudi Padva, I installed 'gudi' at my house, wore all the ornaments and had 'haldi kumkum' ceremony at my house," she said.

RECENT STORIES

INDIA Bloc Leaders To Join Mega Rally Organised By AAP Against Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest At Delhi's...

INDIA Bloc Leaders To Join Mega Rally Organised By AAP Against Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest At Delhi's...

UP: Govt Bus Driver, Conductor Assault Passenger, Bite Off His Ear & Finger After Argument Over...

UP: Govt Bus Driver, Conductor Assault Passenger, Bite Off His Ear & Finger After Argument Over...

'Can't Expect Any Better From Congress': Kangana Ranaut Hits Out At Party For Comments On 'Mandi's...

'Can't Expect Any Better From Congress': Kangana Ranaut Hits Out At Party For Comments On 'Mandi's...

Mukhtar Ansari Was Poisoned To Protect Another Mafia Don; Allege Family Members

Mukhtar Ansari Was Poisoned To Protect Another Mafia Don; Allege Family Members

Gujarat: Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane Inaugurates Key Infrastructure At Indian Coast Guard...

Gujarat: Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane Inaugurates Key Infrastructure At Indian Coast Guard...