Dr. LAXMI GAUTAM, VRINDAVAN
Dr. Laxmi Gautam is a professor at a city college in Vrindavan who is bringing dignity to abandoned widows, both in life and in death. She takes care of these widows by providing them with a warm meal, a blanket and takes care of their medical needs. She also provides them with much-needed emotional care and helps widows get their pensions. Laxmi’s day begins with walking through the city, searching for bodies of widows that are unclaimed and rot for days. She arranges for getting firewood to the lifting of the body to the pyre and performing the last rites. She has performed last rites of almost 500 widows.
