Burning Brides

•If the groom’s family is not happy with the amount of the dowry, they sometimes abuse and harass the bride to make her miserable.

•Sometimes the abuse escalates to the point that women are burned. This is often reported to government officials as a ‘kitchen accident’ because it is illegal. It is estimated that as many as 4000 women are burned each year even though it is illegal.

•Widows are also sometimes burned because they are a burden to society.

Widows*The Hindu religion strongly discourages remarriage.

*If a woman’s husband dies, she loses her identity and she is shunned by society.

*Widows are often rejected by their own families and viewed as a financial drain. Some will be rejected by their own children.

*Widows travel to the holy cities where they must beg for food and await their death.

Widowed• This is a true story of Bai who was born in 1925.• Bai was only 5 years old when she was married off to a man 36 years old.

The young child’s shoulders drooped under the weight of her bridal garland. She was sold for a dowry of $6.55. Her husband died 4 years later, Leaving Bai a 9 year old widow.

• Bai is now 85 years old she hobbles around the city of Vrindavan, begging for food and awaiting her death.

• Vrindavan and Varanasi are holy cities in the north of India that have become home to the husbandless widows.