where in the scriptures it is written that widows must remove their bangles and bindi?

The woman in the video is questioning, with a mocking tone, where in the scriptures it is written that widows must remove their bangles and bindi. She doesn’t seem to think that people are speaking ignorantly. Today, it has become fashionable to claim that there are no regressive customs in Hinduism. The Gita Press, in its recent publications, has been gradually altering references to meat and alcohol consumption in yajnas, presenting them as consumption of roots and herbs. They claim that the British introduced the caste system into a society brimming with equality. They assert that ours is the only religion that respects women. They say that sati-sahagamanam (widow immolation) never happened and that claims of it occurring are British exaggerations. They allege that the British distorted and translated the Dharmashastras and Vedas, and that Dr. Ambedkar, relying on these, mistakenly criticized Hinduism. They label everything that contradicts the Constitution as fabricated, spreading lies to mislead people.

How long will they deceive people with such propaganda? Fine, let’s say what’s done is done. If religious leaders and preachers like these were to list out and abolish these regressive customs in line with modern times, respecting the Constitution, how much more respected would our religion be? But they won’t do it because then no one would listen to or follow them. Only by promoting superstitions in the name of dharma do they find work and sustenance through so-called remedies.

Look at how innocently the elderly women in this video speak. I have no doubt that they, playing the role of senior matriarchs, must have broken the bangles of many unfortunate widows. At the very least, haven’t they witnessed such rituals? Yet, on stage, they speak lofty words without shame. This woman even says that these customs somehow “came up” in the middle, which is better than claiming the British introduced them. That’s some relief.

As the woman in the video questions—not just about widows removing their bindi and kohl, but many other heinous practices—the scriptures, as dictated by scholars, prescribe the following for widows:

A widow has only two paths: one is sati-sahagamanam (immolation with her husband), and the other is to follow widowhood with these rules:

1. She must protect her chastity; if she loses it, her husband, ancestors, and brothers in heaven will be sent to hell.
2. Tying her hair in a bun binds her husband in the afterlife, so she must shave her head.
3. She should eat only once a day.
4. She must observe fasts.
5. She cannot sleep on a bed but must sleep on the floor.
6. She must not bathe with soap or pour water on her head.
7. She must not show interest in luxuries like perfumes, rosewater, cosmetics, jewelry, or sandalwood paste.
8. She cannot ride in an ox cart.
9. She cannot wear a blouse or colored sarees.
10. She cannot consume betel leaves or eat from bronze vessels.
11. A widow without a son must perform daily tarpanam (offerings) for her husband with sesame and water.
12. She must not utter the names of other men.

Sanatana Dharma, under the name Vidhavadharmah, imposes numerous restrictions on widows. These were prescribed as an alternative to sati-sahagamanam, as if they were some grand act of compassion by the scholars. Due to these oppressive laws written by pundits, Hindu widows, even today, face subtle and unspeakable discrimination.

Mere denial won’t erase Sanatana history.

—Bolloju Baba

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHqO6mKvFfQ&ab_channel=TeluguCapitalBhakthiTV