‘Brothers weren’t there for us’: Abandoned by family, Marathwada women found sisterhood in each other

In Marathwada, Maharashtra, women in the region who have been abandoned or separated from their husbands have found solace in sisterhood through the celebration of Raksha Bandhan. Traditionally considered "inauspicious" for single women, the festival has seen a shift as these women began tying rakhis to one another, building relationships with women who stand by them when families do not.

The initiative, led by seven grassroots organizations, has grown from a handful of women questioning the need for such a celebration to a network of 300 women across 40 villages in Beed, Dharashiv, Latur, and Nanded. Single women, including widows, separated, divorced, and unmarried women, have embraced this change, using Raksha Bandhan as a symbol of the relationships they have built with one another.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.