Varanasi: In a dramatic and symbolic protest, women’s organizations in Varanasi conducted a pind daan—a Hindu funeral ritual traditionally performed for the dead—of Sonam Raghuvanshi, the woman accused of killing her husband, Raja Raghuvanshi. The ritual was carried out at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganga, with the women stating that Sonam’s actions had brought shame to all women.
The participants, mainly members of local women’s groups, said the murder had not only taken a life but also damaged societal trust in women and the sanctity of marriage. “Because of her, questions are now being raised about the institution of marriage and the character of women. Her act has insulted womanhood,” one of the protestors said.
The ritual was conducted with full religious rites. Sonam’s photograph and symbolic effigy (pind) were set on fire after rituals, though notably, her photo was not immersed in the Ganga—a gesture the organizers said was to deny her moksha (liberation of the soul), a spiritual goal associated with the sacred river.
The group also performed a puja in the name of the deceased husband, Raja Raghuvanshi, praying for peace to his soul.
Speaking about the unusual event, a priest at the ghat explained, “Performing pind daan of a living person means the society has completely disowned them. It is a symbolic act of social excommunication and a spiritual message that the person does not deserve salvation.”
The murder case involving Sonam Raghuvanshi had attracted widespread media attention and public outrage. Reports suggest she was arrested for allegedly killing her husband under mysterious circumstances. The case has since been used by several civil society groups to raise larger questions about violence within families and societal values.
While critics of the ritual have called it regressive and symbolic vigilantism, the protesting women insisted their action was meant to send a strong message against what they termed a betrayal of both a husband’s trust and society’s expectations.
The pind daan of a living person remains a controversial and rare act, evoking debates about justice, gender, and the limits of symbolic protest.
