Sati or widow burning is an old Indian custom that is practiced by the Hindus whereby the widow is burnt into ashes together with her dead husband. Although this practice was outlawed in 1829 during the time of the
British invasion, many incidences of sati still occurred until it totally vanished. Sati is practiced voluntarily by the widow although there were cases in history when the widow was forced or even dragged to the cremated body of her husband.
The
Hindu belief is that when a widow burns herself with her husband it will bless seven generations of her family. The sati is often praised by her family and her act is considered righteous that even temples are built to honor the sati.
Not all Hindus practice sati, there are only certain Indian communities that practice this custom. It was commonly practiced in the parts of Rajasthan and Bengal. Sati is not original to India. There were ancient societies in other parts the world that practiced burning of the widow like the
Greeks and Egyptians among others. Today, there are very few cases of sati that take place in India, although temples that were established to commemorate the custom still draw crowds of devotees in rural communities.
