- Five Lalitpur inmates observed Karwa Chauth for their husbands.
- Two women performed rituals with their husbands inside prison.
- Three others used husbands’ photographs to complete the ceremonies.
- Jail administration facilitated arrangements, supporting inmate rehabilitation.
Over 20 women inmates at Lalitpur District Jail in Uttar Pradesh observed Karwa Chauth this year, praying for the long lives of their husbands despite being separated from them by prison walls. While two women were allowed to perform the rituals with their husbands, who are also lodged in the same jail, the remaining three completed the ceremony with the help of their husbands’ photographs.
The jail administration made special arrangements to ensure the inmates could celebrate the festival. Jail Superintendent Prashant Upadhyay organised traditional clothes, mehendi, bangles, puja materials, fruits and sweets using funds from the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund.
Mehendi, Traditional Attire And Evening Puja
Preparations began in the women’s barracks, where the inmates applied mehendi to each other’s hands and dressed up for the occasion under the supervision of female jail staff.
The administration also designated a space within the prison premises for the women to listen to the Karwa Chauth story and perform the customary prayers.
After moonrise, the inmates followed the traditional ritual of viewing the moon through a sieve before praying for their husbands’ well-being. They subsequently broke their fasts, with the jail authorities providing fruits and refreshments.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Karwa Chauth celebrated at District Jail in Sitapur where 27 women inmates and 17 married couples performed rituals of the festival. Arrangements for the celebration were made by the jail administration. (Video: Jail Superintendent Priti Yadav) https://t.co/0amqUZLl4D
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2026
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Two Women Perform Karwa Chauth With Husbands
Two of the women, Chanda and Pushpa, were permitted to celebrate the occasion alongside their husbands, who are also inmates at Lalitpur District Jail. The couples were allowed to come together during the prayers so the women could complete the rituals in their husbands’ presence.
For the other three inmates, female staff members displayed photographs of their husbands on mobile phones, enabling them to perform the customary rituals despite the separation.
Jail Administration Says Festivals Support Rehabilitation
Superintendent Prashant Upadhyay said prisons should serve as centres for reform rather than being viewed solely as places of punishment. He emphasised that addressing inmates’ religious practices and emotional needs was also an important part of their rehabilitation.
The welfare fund was used to purchase earthen pots, sieves, lamps, bangles, scarves, puja materials, fruits and seven varieties of sweets for the celebrations.
According to Upadhyay, the jail administration also makes arrangements for inmates to observe other festivals, including Raksha Bandhan, Eid and Diwali.
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