Hindu Widows End Oppressive Practices

Widows celebrate by throwing flowers and colored powder into the air during a Holi celebration March 24, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.

A widow dressed as the Hindu goddess Radha looks out from behind a curtain during a Holi celebration at the Meera Sahavagini ashram in Vrindavan, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, March 24, 2013.

Widows throw flowers into the air during a Holi celebration, March 24, 2013.

A widow dances in a dormitory during Holi celebrations at the Meera Sahavagini ashram in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, March 24, 2013.

A boy covered in colored powder poses with a group of widows during a Holi celebration, March 24, 2013.

Widows raise their hands as they throw flowers into the air during a Holi celebration, March 24, 2013.