TRAVEL THE WORLD - BIKANER, INDIA

These hand prints, displayed just inside the entrance to Junagarh Fort in Bikaner, Rajasthan, serve to commemorate the women of the fort who committed sati (or suttee) when their men were preparing to face certain death in battle. Rumour has it that sati is still practised in India, although it was banned by the British in the early 19th Century and I believe continues to be against the law today. Certainly, there was no useful role for widows in traditional Hindu society, and today a widow in India is often tossed aside by her husband's family. When we visited the fort in 2007, we were deeply touched by the sight of these hand prints and by the tragic fate of the women.