Decades on, Vrindavan widows to visit home

LUCKNOW: Frail and wrinkled Lalita Adhikari, 108, is preparing for her first-ever journey in 40 years. Though she has practically nothing to pack – possesses only two white sarees -- her cataract eyes have a glint of excitement.

Inmate of Meera Sehbhagi widow ashram in Vrindavan (UP), Lalita would go to her hometown of Kolkata (West Bangal) this Durga Puja for the first time after her husband’s death.

Like Lalita there are about 50 other Vrindavan widows -all above 75 years of age from West Bengal -- who would go to Pally Mangal Samiti Durga Puja in Jodhpur Park, Salt Lake FE block in Kolkata as guests.

“Ever since I started livi ng in the ashram my life is restricted to prayers. Things must have changed in Kolkata,” says Lalita, who hasn’t seen her children for the last 40 years.

Similar are the cases of Radha Dasi, Manu Ghosh and Anjana Goswami, who are living in ashram for over three decades.

Organisers of the Durga puja – biggest community festival to worship the Goddess in the form of divine mother for nine days – both at Jodhpur Park and Hindustan Park in Kolkata have decided to honour these widows publicly.

Jaydeep Mukherjee of Pally Mangal Samity plans to get the puja pandal inaugurated by the widows.

THEY WILL ALSO GET A CHANCE TO MEET THE GOVERNOR OF WEST BENGAL

Bhaskar Nandi of 72-year-old Singhi Park puja committee has requested Mamata Banerjee to be present during the functions and felicitate the women. “The women will also get a chance to meet the Governor of West Bengal,” added Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International that has organised the trip.

They will reach the city on October 6 and alight from the aircraft to a grand welcome by members of a youth organisation, which has decided to arrange for a band party with traditional ‘dhaak’ to match the occasion. Says Pathak, “Initially we were apprehensive. But as we approached some organisers, they said they would make special arrangements for the women, which gave us the confidence.”