Mangalore: Historic Day at Kudroli Temple as Widows Take Centre Stage

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Oct 3: In a landmark move, thousands of widows who have faced untold hardships and miseries and who were being neglected by society, were honoured and given recognition at the city's Lord Gokarnanatheshwara Temple in Kudroli here on October 3.

The purpose was to bring widows, who are otherwise kept away from auspicious occasions and denied the right to wear certain things after the death of their husbands, to the mainstream and herald a new social transformation. As many as 2,300 widows were honoured.

The widows participated in 'Chandrika Homa' and joined in pulling a silver chariot around the Temple premises. They even performed 'aarti'.

Janardhana Poojary, managing trustee of the Temple and the brain behind the idea, told reporters that so far, respect for women in the society has been only a lip-service, without any concrete action being taken to address their plight. He urged the public to respect all women irrespective of their status and shed narrow-mindedness towards widows, adding that the term 'widow' ought to be obliterated and replaced with a word that would reflect the respect they deserve.

The programme was graced by Ln Kripa Alva, who is also a social activist. Addressing the gathering, she narrated her own experiences of losing her husband almost 20 years ago and said that she too had been a victim of discrimination, especially when she was not allowed to participate actively in her own brother's wedding.

She lauded Poojary for his innovative and progressive way of thinking and said that the move would definitely be a harbinger of social change not only concerning the plight of women but other social evils as well.

Poojary gifted saris, kumkum, bangles and flowers to the widows on the occasion, stressing that they should once again wear the things they have been told not to.