It was an occasion for them to break the social taboos and ancient traditions and they did it in style.
Around 1,000 widows from Varanasi and Vrindavan on Thursday splashed colours on each other and actively took part in Holi celebrations especially organised for them at the 400-year-old Gopinath temple in Vrindavan.
It was a different kind of Holi for the widows as, clad in white sarees, they came out of the 'ashrams' to play with colours and paint each other at a public place in the pilgrim town.
Away from routine
Aged widows living as refugees in ashrams in Vrindavan and Varanasi appeared ecstatic as they gathered at one of the oldest Krishna temples at the crowded Gopinath Bazaar in Vrindavan since morning, deviating from their prosaic day- to-day activities.
At least 1,500 kg 'gulal' (coloured powder) in different colours and an equal amount of rose and marigold petals were arranged for the Holi celebrations for the widows by Sulabh International, which looks after around 1,000 widows at Varanasi and Vrindavan.
The Holi revelry began with much fanfare amid song and dance performances. Happiness was writ large on the faces of the participants.
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