Transforming Practices for a Just Society

The Abolition of Sati (Widow Burning)

  • What was it?
    Originally, it was meant as a voluntary act of devotion, but over time, it became ritualistic and oppressive.Sati was a practice where widows were expected (sometimes forced) to self-immolate on their husband’s funeral pyre, by manipulative people in positions of power.
  • Reform & Abolition:
    • Raja Ram Mohan Roy led the fight against Sati in the early 19th century, calling it inhumane and un-Vedic.
    • British Governor-General William Bentinck officially banned Sati in 1829 through legislation.
    • Today, Sati is criminalized, and widow remarriage is widely accepted.

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