Sati was the traditional Hindu practice of a widow burning herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. ‘Sati’ means a virtuous woman. A woman who dies after burning herself on her husband’s funeral fire was considered most virtuous, and was believed to directly go to heaven.
Sati was prevalent among certain sects of the society in ancient India. A woman who committed Sati was worshipped as a goddess, and temples were built in her memory. The famous Indian social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy, through his organization Brahmo Samaj, was among the first who fought to eliminate Sati.
Sati was stopped by the British in 1829. It continues to be banned today, as it is a cruel and inhuman practice.
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