A slide-show Instead
15.12.07

Posted by Claude Renault 17:14 4 commentaires  

Street
22.8.07

A widows in a Vrindavan's street, a common sigth. So many widows leave in that town.
The words in Hindi behind means "Rada Krishna",
Krishna's birthplace is Vrindavan

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Going Home

A widow going back home from the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram where 2000 widows come everyday to pray.
Sometime heavy rain makes thing more difficult.

Posted by Claude Renault 15:12 1 commentaires  

Home

Some widows drying off their clothing home. They rent a room, 200 meters away from the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Going away

A White Widow of Vrindavan going home after the prayers.
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Going Home

Widows leaving the sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. It's located in the Loi bazar, next to the Ghats and the Yamuna river.

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Last moments

A widow thinking as I was leaving the ashram in Vrindavan. One of the last images I took there.
Wondering what she was thinking after having seen me everyday for 6 days

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Leaving.

Widows coming out of the prayer room after their morning session.

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Leaving the Ashram

Widows coming out of the prayer room after their morning session.

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Leaving the Ashram

Widows leaving the Ashram at the end of the Prayers.

For the Italian readers, an article in Monday's "Corriere della Sera" :
archivio.corriere.it/archiveDocumentServlet.jsp?url=/docu...

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Prava Dotto

Prava Dotto from Bakura Medripur. A widow from west bengal looking outside the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram

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Singing

Widows raising their arms when singing Bhajan Kritan in one of the buildings of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Prayers

Widows during a morning prayer , before the lunch they will get free after the 4 hours singing session. In another building of the Sri bagwan Bhajan ashram

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Music

a widow playing Cymbals during the prayers

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Bhajan Kirtan

Widows singing Bhajan Kirtan, a form of prayer inside the Bagwan bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. This woman was doing a strange noise with her tongue a bit like the one women do in Morocco...

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Leader

One of the leader of the Widows, she is singing Bhajan, but mostly she is trying to push the other one to sing louder and louder..

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Respect

A widow bowing in front of the Altar before the Bhajan Kritan initiate.

Posted by Claude Renault 08:32 0 commentaires  

Aamar Bari Ashram
21.8.07

Aruthi Maity, a widow from Medripur, West bengal staying inside her room at the Aamar Bari Ashram in Vrindavan. This Ashram is totally different from the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram. Widows have a room there and are feeded, no links attached..

Headquartered at Delhi's Qutub Institutional Area, the Guild has established a home for the widows of Vrindavan, Amar Bari, where the women live in the comfort of companionship and care, learning skills that help them gain economic independence and confidence. Most of the women at Amar Bari are from West Bengal. Dr. V. Mohini Giri has served as Chairperson of the Guild of Service since 1979, a social service organization which, among its projects, helps the displaced widows of India.

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Token

A widow distributing the token for the other widows, at the entrance of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram, to prove they attend the singing and prayers, a way for them to get a few roupies and a free meal.

Posted by Claude Renault 18:02 0 commentaires  

Corriere

For the Italian readers, an article in yesterday's "Corriere della Sera" about Vrindavan's Widows...
archivio.corriere.it/archiveDocumentServlet.jsp?url=/docu... a

Posted by Claude Renault 17:56 0 commentaires  

Details

Booghamathi coming out to fetch water at the pump in front of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

Posted by Claude Renault 16:45 1 commentaires  

Meal Time

Some widows eating after having been in line to get their free food, inside the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.
On the left, Onita, she gives water to passers by and next to her Bhoogamita, both from West Bengal.

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Out

Once they get their free meal, the Widows go out trough a back door of the Ashram and they go to another room to eat quietly.

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Line

In line to get some food at the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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FOOD

Widows getting free meal at the Sri bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.
A refuge for about 2000 widows.

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Mataji

Mataji waiting in line for a free meal of Dal and Rice.
Shot during meal time in the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.
I kind of liked Mataji and the Indian Flag on the bag..
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Food.

Widows in line to get a free meal in the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Food.

A young girl helping her aunty to distribute free food for the widows at the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Line for food

Widows in line in a small alley where they will get their free meal. The scene is like that everyday. When they sing and pray in the main room of the Ashram in front of a temple, they earn a free meal and some roupies. They pray every morning and afternoon. They are given a token that will give in exchange for the meal.
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Line for food.

Widows waiting in line to get their free meal, at 11 AM, following the morning Bhajan Kirtan.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:48 2 commentaires  

Savitri

Savitri going to place herselve in line to get free food : a bit of vegetable, Dal and Chapatis. By coming singing and praying everyday, twice a day she can get the free food and some roupies.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:36 0 commentaires  

Komala

Komala, a widow from West Bengal near the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. She was coming out of the Ashram and complaining to me about her arm hurting her. It was monsoon time and some rain was coming.
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Posted by Claude Renault 10:34 0 commentaires  

Kalavathy

Kalavathy, a widow is washing her feet at one entrance of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram before going back in. Widows get A little bit of cah every time they attend the Prayers, a bit of Dal, rice and sweet. Special distributions of clothes are made by the institution from time to time.

Posted by Claude Renault 10:28 0 commentaires  

Kalavathi

Kalavathi, a widow walking out of the Sri Bhajan Ashram. Like most of them, 80 %, to be precise, she came from West Bengal.
Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram was founded in 1914, the founder being a religious philantropist, Sri Janki Dasji Patodia. He gave all his money for the religious cause.
Apart from Vrindavan the institution has beranches in Mathura, Barsana, Gokul and Chitrakut.
The widows come everyday in 3 sessions of 4 hours each to sing Bhajan Kritan, during day time. To maintain the 24 hours continuity, Sadhus keep doing it during the night hours.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:50 0 commentaires  

Water

A widow in a small niche next to the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram is trying to get some roupies giving water to passers by.
You find a lot of places like this especially in Rajasthan where you can get some fresh water as the temperature is pretty high.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:46 0 commentaires  

Peaking...

Widow praying in the same room seen in the previous image, from the street. The green shutters protect the room from the heat outside..It's monsoon time and very hot.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:39 0 commentaires  

Ashram
20.8.07

In another building of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram more widows are praying. People tend to follow habits everywhere, the entire time I was there I was certain to meet everybody at the exact same spot.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:49 0 commentaires  

Radha Radhi

Radha Radhi Mishre, a 53 years old widow from Calcutta. She spoke English, the only one I met there speaking it. She had arrived at the Sri Bajhan Ashram 8 months earlier. The only thing left for her to do was to pray god, as she had no family members left.
Thanks to her I was able to understand more, she is the one doing the translation for me.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:44 0 commentaires  

Prayer

An offering at the start of the prayers in front of an Altar. I asked Radha Radhi Mishre, a 53 years old widow from Calcutta if the young girl on the left was also a widow, she answered : "No, she is only a destitute". I was surprised by her sttrong faith during the singings.
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Sleeping

A widow sleeping on the steps of a temple in Vrindavan. She is waitiing for the temple to open up as everyday while I was there.

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Going In.

The widows go everyday to meet, to pray inside one of the 7 buildings of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram. They can't live there, it's just a place where to go during the day time. They have to find an accomodation in town, sometime a room to share with another widow, not easy for destitute having nothing.

Posted by Claude Renault 14:43 0 commentaires  

Savitri again

During the prayer inside the Bagwan Bhajan Ashram, Savitri saw me and came toward me to say Hello. She was getting used to it..

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Pasadi

Pasadi , a widow from West Bengal in the Shri Bhajan Ashram in Vindavan. She is one of the relatively young widows taking part in the singing everyday.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:08 0 commentaires  

Prayers

Widows during the prayers in the main room of the Sri Bagwan Ashram in Vrindavan. Most of the widows still wear White saris, even though I met a few who refused to do so and kept wearing colored one, a minority though.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:07 0 commentaires  

Token

A widow entering the Bagwan Bhajan Ashram, this token will get her the right to a free meal.

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Water

Before going into the main Praying room, a widow washes her feet at the entrance of the sri Bagwan Ashram

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Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram

Widows coming out and going in the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Savitri.

Savitri at the entrance of the sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. A good friend of Amodhini. They do spend a lot of time together.

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A M O D H I N I. Vrindavan
19.8.07

Amodhini, a widow from West Bengal greeting me at the entrance of the Shri Bajhan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Getting to the Ashram

Widows going by and entering the Sri Bhajan Ashram where they stay. One of them is touching the stair as a mark of respect to the place they will go.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:27 0 commentaires  

Resting.

Some widows resting a bit before going into another room to sing Bhajan Kritan in the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.
Those widows come to the Ashram every day to sing Bhajan, a way of making a few roupies and mainy to get free food. Most of them have been rejected by their families, or don't have family left to look after them.
The Ashram was founded in 1914 by a religious minded philanthrophist, Sri Janki Dasji Patodia who gave up all his moneyfor the religious cause he supported all his life.
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I mainly stayed with the same widows the entire week. Savitri, Boghamathi, Nolita, and others

Posted by Claude Renault 17:23 0 commentaires  

Meeting.

Widows meeting at the entrance of the Sri Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. Savitri is sitting next to the door and Boghamathi, a widow from Uttar Pradesh is looking at me.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:20 1 commentaires  

Suro Doni

Suro Doni is a widow from a village not far from Calcutta, she came to Vrindavan 5 years ago when her husband died, she didn't have any family left.

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Resting.

Some widows resting in one building of the Ashram before heading toward the big room where they will sing Bhajan Kritan.

Posted by Claude Renault 17:15 0 commentaires  

The Widow's Windows

A widow opening up the Huge windows of one of the Ashram's building.

Posted by Claude Renault 09:41 0 commentaires  

Prava Dotto, A Bengali widow

Pava Dotto from Bakura Medripur. A widow from West Bengal. She is the leader of a little group of widows, a very determined lady.

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Widow

A widow coming to a side entrance of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.
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Coming In. Vrindavan
18.8.07

At one entrance of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. A widow is waiting for somebody to open up the door.
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Posted by Claude Renault 19:54 1 commentaires  

Sleep. Vrindavan

A widow resting on the floor of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram before going into another room to sing Bhajan Kritan.
Those widows come to the Ashram every day to sing Bhajan, a way of making a few roupies and mainy to get free food. Most of them have been rejected by their families, or don't have family left to look after them.
The Ashram was founded in 1914 by a religious minded philanthrophist, Sri Janki Dasji Patodia who gave up all his money for the religious cause he supported all his life.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:27 0 commentaires  

Praying. Vrindavan

Widows praying, a few of them, before meeting in the huge room where they will sing bhajan Kritan, a form of prayer.

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Sleeping. Vrindavan

A widow resting inside the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. The windows open up on the streets.
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Posted by Claude Renault 13:09 0 commentaires  

Sleeping. Vrindavan

The widows are coming to the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram to pray, mainly because they get free food if they do so, but they also come to have a social life, they meet, chat and rest there.

Posted by Claude Renault 13:04 1 commentaires  

Prayers. Vrindavan
17.8.07

Widows in the Shri Bajhan Ashram singing together prayer to the glory of Lord Krishna, the god whose birthplace was Vrindavan.

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Praying. Vrindavan

Widows praying in one of the seven buildings of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan.

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Savitri. Vrindavan
9.8.07

Savitri, a widow from West Bengal , coming out of the Sri Bagwan Bhajan Ashram in Vrindavan. She is a witty lady, charming at the same time
This is one of the first images I took in the Ashram during my stay there.
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