SATI

This painting portrays the sacrifices of a large number of women because of the ritual ‘Satipratha’ . ‘Sati’ is a Hindu practice, now mostly historical, in which a widow sacrifices herself by sitting atop her deceased husband’s funeral pyre. Greek sources from around 300 BCE make isolated mention of Sati, but it probably developed into a real fire sacrifice in the medieval era only to become wider-spread during the late medieval era. Isolated incidents of Sati were recorded in India in the late 20th century, leading the Indian government to promulgate the Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987, criminalizing the aiding or glorifying of Sati. 

Even today in India, millions of women are shunned from society when their husbands die. Excluded and marginalized, they face a life of poverty and injustice. Many live on the streets begging for a bite to eat. Through this painting I attempt to bring light to this issue and implore the society to take note of these forgotten women and assist them in restoring dignity and human rights.

Size : 5 x 5 Feet

Medium : Oil on canvas