Labeled as witches

Labeled as witches : A form of violence against women

A 45-year-old woman, Parvati Devi Chaudhari was beaten to death by her neighbours on charge of practicing witchcraft in Supauli, Parsa on Thursday midnight, 16^th August 2013. On 24 August i went to Supauli to document the case for my long term photo documentary Project  ” Labeled as witches : A form of violence against women in Nepal”. I met Bhagan Chaudhari, husband of Parvati Chaudhari and sunkesi Chaudhari, daughter of Parvati Chaudhari.

The family was in deep shock and sorrow and still helpless. A form of fear was still expressed by the eyes of Bhagan and her daughter that were demanding a justice for Parvati Devi, their family member who is no more physically in this world. 

There was a deep silence in the village. Only women and children were seen in the village. Most of the men are absence in the village. The absence of the men give a sense that most of them were witnessed to extreme violence or involved in the murder of Parvati Devi Chaudhari.

The family was in engage in traditional 13 days religious death rituals to help the soul of Parvati to rest in peace in haven. According to their tradition and retuas Bhagan was holding the soul of her wife with him all the time in a bamboo stick with the help of an iron nail. On the 13^th day of her death reatuals, he will release the soul of his wife to rest in peace in haven according to their traditional practice.

In an interaction, both the husband and daughter of Parvati were expressing that they are still afraid and unsaif from the murderers of parvati. They were demanding a prompt arrest of the people who were involved in the murder and a justice to their family member Parvati Devi Choudhari labeled as witch and was beaten to death.

Daughter shows photo of her mother,Parvati Devi Chaudhari. Parvati was was beaten to death by her neighbours on charge of practicing witchcraft in Supauli, Parsa on Thursday midnight, 16th August 3013.

The silence village in Supauli VDC Parsa, Nepal.

Bhagan Chaudhari, the husband of Parvati Devi stands alone near his bead room from where the assaulters overpowered the couple.

Bhagan shows the place in village where his wife was was beaten to death by her neighbours.

The place where the body of Parvati was found in the morning.

Domestic pigeon seen on the house house of Parvati Devi.

According to their tradition and retuals Bhagan holds the soul of her wife with him all the time in a bamboo stick with the help of an iron nail.

Bhagan on a ritual move to offer food to the soul of his wife.

Dogs rush for the food that is offered for the soul of Parvati Devi by her Husband as a routine of death rituals.

Bhagan Chaudhari

The daughter of Parvati Devi

Husband and and daughter of Parvati Devi Chaudari.

The family and relatives of Parvati Devi in front of her house.

a relative of the family receives food and other essential materials send by the family parents of Parvati Devi.

Bhagan waits for government official who came to the village to offer him Rs 25,000 as a help to complete the death rituals of her wife. The family is poor and landless.

Rajpati Devi, 55, who was also labeled as witch by the same group of neighbors who labeled Parvati Devi as witch and was beaten to death