The Role of Faith and Religion in The Lives of Destitute Women in Vrindavan.

Abstract

The paper will explore how faith and religion can have significant role in the lives of poor women in the city of Vrindavan, India, a city with spiritual significance and a large population of widows who have been abandoned. The article examines lived experiences of 50 women using thematic analysis and focuses on personal experiences of widowhood, abandonment, isolation, and experience of faith-based practices. Through semi structured interviews, the study establishes how religious beliefs and practices impact on their emotional and psychological resilience in the face of socio-economic adversities. The interaction of spirituality and coping, marginalization in society and the role of support systems are the main themes. Findings show that religion is two fold as a source of comfort and a fortification of norms. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on the interaction of gender, religion, and destitution in India..