In pictures: This is how widows in Vrindavan celebrated Holi

Breaking a 400-year-old tradition, more than 1000 widows in Vrindavan played Holi inside the Lord Krishna temple yesterday.

Though widows playing Holi in Vrindavan and Varanasi started a while back, this would be the first time, they would be celebrating the festival of colours inside the temple premises.

The Holi celebrations was organised by Sulabh Foundation, which has been striving to bring back these widows, most of whom have been treated as outcasts by their families to society's mainstream.

According to the founder of Sulabh, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, this year they had managed to convince a number of Sanskrit students and Pundits to take part in the Holi celebrations.

Organisers say that it was a "riot of colour" on Monday as 1200 kgs of 'gulal' (coloured powder) and 1500 kilograms of rose and merry gold petals were arranged for the event.

"The widows, who wear only white sarees, would splash colours on each other to celebrate the festival, breaking away from years of social stigma attached to women who have lost their husbands", said an organiser.

Have a look!

Image credit: AP/Indiatimes