Wonderful women of Vrindavan

 In India there was the ancient belief that a woman, without her husband, was totally worthless. At the loss of a husband, a woman was either encouraged to jump into the funeral pyre, or was shunned from her home and family, left to wander and beg for food. Many widowed women made their way to the Holy City of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. There they would spend their time praying and chanting to Lord Krishna, asking to be released from the cycle of rebirth. (Or, at least, NOT to be reborn as a "worthless" woman).

About fifteen years ago, I set out to visit all of India's Holy cities. Upon arriving in Vrindavan, I was left speechless! There were thousands of women roaming the street dressed in a white sari (color to be worn by widowed women). Their lives are hard, constantly in danger. Life is not easy for women in general, let alone on the streets! I am writing this blog post to let all of you amazing women that we, at Sol Jewels, are working towards building a partnership with an NGO in Vrindavan, Mahima, that provides food, shelter, clothing and healthcare to a number of these widowed women. Some of these women know how to sew, and all of them are eager to learn. We are working on this project, hoping it will be a reality for 2021. We will keep you posted. In the meantime, here are a few pictures! Enjoy!