Hastinapur: After war...!

Episode#79

Hastinapur had turned into city of mourning with the women and children weeping and lamenting for their slain nearest and dearest ones.

Thousands of women dragged themselves to the battlefield inclusive of mothers, sisters, wives, some were old, frail with age; some were young and at the prime stage of their lives; some carried babies in their arms; some had young children crying behind them. They were searching the bodies of their beloved. Some mothers identified their sons, widows found their husbands,  and sisters saw brothers lying headless, limbless, crushed by the wheels of chariot, they were killed to establish Dharma; was this war of Kurukshetra fought for Dharma - righteousness? If yes then at what cost...?

The wives of common soldiers,  whose death spelt dire poverty and constant starvation to the family, they were now exposed to the outer world! They are unaccustomed to the  outside world except going to temples and shrines; they led a very monotonous life with the routine daily chores of life and never in their wildest dreams saw themselves treading on the path of widowhood - which now they were destined to live henceforth.

Torsion were imposed on widows who had to wear only white cotton apparel; sans jewellery,  sans flowers, with no silk to wrap their youthful bodies! No bangles to jingle around wrists or footwear to protect their lotus feet! They had no choice but were confined  to the lonely corners of their own homes. The only option that was offered to them was to adopt the rituals of sati (jumping in burning pyre of deceased husbands) or embrace inhumane customs to spend the rest of their lives in the dark confines of their homes. The women, who had lived their lives full of decorum and graceful splendour,  nowhere thrown in the jaws of ignominy,  as if they were outcasts and untouchables in exile!

When the hatred and anger have been aroused codes of honour then Dharma becomes powerless  - the end result...? Men kills each other and during the post-war era, the mothers as well as motherland suffers! Janani Janmabhoomi.

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