A Photo Walk through the City of Widows
Finding Solace in
God
She wants to be a boss woman, and balance everything but how often does the world of discrimination let her do that? She is subjected to discrimination and labels, quite frequently. Women- a not-so-debatable topic, but her rights and freedom are often questioned more. But why do women have to face these stereotypes? Are they responsible for being visibly invisible or do we as a society fail to acknowledge them?
Fazal Sheikh’s photographic series, Moksha,
takes us through the lanes of widowhood in Vrindavan. His photographs are
deeply linked to how women are seen after the loss of their husbands.
Vrindavan- the city of Widows and spirituality holds home to more than 20,000 widows
The widows here deeply feel that only submission to God can help them get
Moksha, or liberation from the endless cycle of life and death.
When I saw the photographs for the first
time, I felt disconnected from what was being shown. Set against the sullied
dull white walls, these photographs made my mood slightly grey. It felt like
the photographs of some women hiding their identities under a shawl. They were
running away from the glimpses of the world under the cover provided to them by
society. But as you read about the photographs, you realize that it's just not
a coverup of their identity but a metaphor for protecting them from the outside
world in the name of God.
The colors, background, and atmosphere of
these photographs are a true representation of what Widows in Vrindavan looks
like. Their names are covered under the name of God and their identities are
overshadowed by the dullness of Indian society. The Moksha series aka
liberation, becomes the true mission of these women because they have been told
from the start that life is nothing without their better half. The colors and
contrast portrayed in this series are the shades of white and the hues of grey
depicting how life shifts from colorful glory towards white and they end up
adjusting to a new space and turning grey.
The artist, Fazal Sheikh ties who different
sides of the widowhood of Vrindavan. Number one, the one that looks into the
camera but is covered and handicapped enough to make a choice, and the other
that has agreed upon that this is going to be her life. What I saw here
at first, was just two people covered in shawls but later I noticed the drape
of every drop of the silhouette and how it falls on the shoulders of the
widows, covers their faces with nothing to observe, and melts well with their
body posture. The artist tries to represent the true identities of these widows
with their way of living and succeeds in doing so. When I observed these
photographs long enough, I could feel these women respecting their quietness
and choosing to willfully step away from societal norms.
Widows who come to Vrindavan voluntarily or
involuntarily, come under the assumption that Lord Krishna will take care of
them and alleviate their sorrows. Their identities and personalities are made
to believe that life with a man is only complete and without a man can only be
complete when God steps in. But in reality, widows are seen as a threat to the
caste hierarchy and their sexual union with another man could potentially pollute
their race and name. Why would otherwise the union of a man be highly promoted
but that of a woman be called a form of pollution? Or the surplus of women is a
potential cause of threat and added liability.
Women, work, and wealth- 3 W’s that are
often judged in Indian society. And if they are bought together, they might
still require digene for digestion. Women who were already under the microscope
of a failed society when raised their voices to become equal in wealth and work
were pushed back with one medium or the other. This is not just the problem of
a failed society but also of failed laws that govern women. Hierarchy is seen
through the lens of a man, so ultimately when the point for
the distribution of power and justice comes it is automatically descended
to a man than a woman.
With around 15-20 thousand windows chanting and praying to God, Vrindavan
also provides a home to the widows who their own families have pushed out. They
can be seen leading a basic life as guided by their Gurus, family, and friends,
with the aspiration that they will have dignity when they shift to Vrindavan. The
age group of these women varies in a range, from early 20’s to early 80’s,
there are some who are even underage and pushed here.
According to their status, they would
either rent a space, live in an ashram, or on the roads. They are allotted a
small space, bed, and a cupboard to hold the baggage of their past. With zero
to almost no contact with their past, they come here to relive their lives in
white sarees (a predefined color for widowhood). They form bonds with fellow
widows and are submerged under the vision of one spiritual God. They are aging
women; having spent the prime of their lives in the roles of wife,
daughter-in-law, and mothers which mostly entailed submitting their lives to
something else. It was considered a part of their duty as a good Hindu woman.
Poverty, old age, and its associated malnourishment wore out the widows over
several years, but there has been no opinion or vision for them. The contrast
between blacks and greys in the photograph highlights the true conditions of
these widows.
A woman is seen as complete only under the
guardianship of a male- a brother, husband, or father. And this dictates her life.
From being told, “tum to paraye ghar ki ho jaoge” to “byah hogaya
tumhara?”, a woman has always been seen as a subject to burden. Even when
they get married, they are held responsible for the well-being of their
husbands. Then, comes the traditions like Karwa Chauth that put forward a
similar notion that a wife is responsible for her husband’s well-being. Some
people say that it promotes gender roles and is regressive, while some feel it's
about dedication, love, and strength. When I asked my mother, why she keeps a
no-water fast for my father, she replied, “It’s an old tradition. If it makes
my family happy and gives your father a little more life, I will keep it”. When
I counter-argued- Then, why does Papa not keep it, she hesitated and said,
“Only women keep it.” This mindset of putting everything on a woman’s shoulder
is not what we were told recently but has been in the books for a long time.
Then, comes additional duties of women, taking care of their family, and what
happens to them after death.
This is linked directly to the lineage of
God and how women have always been perceived as a subject to injustice,
inequality, and liability. The goddess Sati, also known as Dakshayani, is
directly associated with the concept of sati. When her father insulted Lord Shiva,
Sati immolated herself in protest, which is often seen as a symbolic origin of
the practice of Sati. Even Goddess Renuka was accused of infidelity by society
after the loss of her husband. What happens to a woman when her spouse dies is
still a matter of debate, giving rise to customs like Sati and Widowhood.
Sati started in the early centuries and
became prevalent during the 10th and 12th centuries. Its
main belief is- a widow should immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.
This practice can be traced back to Bengal, as a measure for the warrior and
royal classes to prevent widows from being captured and abused by invaders. But
soon this custom became popular all over India as a practice where hundreds of
women would throw themselves into fires just to pay homage to their dying
husbands. Although, now it's just a form
of patriarchy that has been banned. But does this series of women proving
themselves right, stop here? The answer is- No. It only starts there and then
comes another practice called Niyoga where a childless widow is married
to a close relative of her husband to ensure that the family line continues and
the wife is provided with social and economic security. This brings us back to
the point that women are seen as invisible and incompetent without a man.
All these practices raise answers to common
practice- Widowhood and how it is seen as a complex and deeply intertwined
social complexity in the Indian content. The history of widowhood in India is
complex and deeply intertwined with the society's social, cultural, and
religious fabric. The treatment of widows has evolved significantly over the
centuries, influenced by religious texts, societal norms, and colonial as well
as post-colonial reforms. The practice of sati, while related, represents a
specific and extreme aspect of widowhood.
Fazal’s photos are a shred of evidence of
how women are still subjected to a life where they are seen as a threat and
have to live under restrictions. Their mindset has been built in a way that they
find solace in the lies built by the people for God. But is it wrong to find
solace in something? Fazal’s photos also portray one thing which is the
quietness and peace of finding solace in something. Vrindavan which survives on
two things- temples and widows, continues to remain the place of rest for
people and widows throughout the Globe. But when and where in this society will
a woman actually find her solace?
