Meet Roop Kanwar: Last documented wife who burnt to death as Sati

Roop Kanwar Sati case: In 1987, a tragic incident from a small village in Rajasthan captured the attention of the entire nation and even the international media. The case involved the last known occurrence of Sati in India, when an 18-year-old woman named Roop Kanwar was reportedly burned alive on her husband's funeral pyre.

Who is Roop Kanwar? What was her story?

Roop Kanwar, just 18, had been married to 24-year-old Maal Singh for only eight months when he passed away from gastroenteritis in September 1987. His body was taken to their village, Deorala, in Rajasthan for the funeral rites. What followed next shocked the world.

Roop Kanwar expressed her desire to follow the ancient practice of Sati, in which a widow self-immolates on her husband’s funeral pyre. According to reports, Roop informed her father-in-law of her decision. Dressed as a bride, she led the funeral procession, with thousands of villagers watching in shock and religious awe.

During the funeral, Roop Kanwar reportedly took her husband's head in her lap, recited the Gayatri Mantra, and then sat on the pyre. Moments later, she perished in the flames, alongside her husband’s body.

In 1987, a case in a small village of Rajasthan shocked the entire nation and even international media.

The last known Sati case of India- Roop Kanwar.

18 years old Roop Kanwar married 24 years old Maal Singh in 1987. Maal Singh died of gastroenteritis in September at Sikar… pic.twitter.com/UWgEtHGABR

— Siddharth's Echelon (@SiddharthKG7) October 11, 2024

Thousands began visiting Roop Kanwar's site of death

The Sati incident in Deorala might have remained a local legend if not for an unusual occurrence involving coconuts. As word spread to neighboring villages, thousands of people began visiting the site where Roop Kanwar died. Many visitors started offering coconuts at the site, creating a sudden shortage in the region.

A revenue official, noticing the shortage of coconuts, launched an inquiry and discovered the chilling details of Roop Kanwar's death. A police constable was dispatched to Deorala to verify the incident. At the site, he found a large stone covered with a red drapery, a trident erected in front of it, and thousands of devotees offering flowers, incense sticks, and coconuts to what had now become the "Sati Mata" shrine.

Supoporters began guarding the Sati Mata site

As news of Roop Kanwar’s death spread, the case was highlighted across Rajasthan and India. Religious organizations and caste groups quickly rallied to defend the act, with some locals claiming it was a matter of religious freedom and tradition. Supporters began guarding the "Sati Mata" site, turning it into a symbol of religious and caste pride.

In response to the incident, the Rajasthan government was forced to take action. An FIR was filed against several individuals who were present during the event, including Roop Kanwar's in-laws. Despite the outrage, the case soon became a matter of controversy, dividing public opinion.

In 1987, the Indian government passed the Sati Prevention Act, which explicitly banned the practice of Sati and its glorification in any form. However, it took decades for the legal proceedings to reach a conclusion.

It is said that the then Rajasthan CM Joshi had to resign in 1988 due to Roop Kanwar case and his inability to handle the aftermath where it became a communal and caste pride issue.

People started whole religious iconography around Roop Kanwar and eventually,

Indian Government… pic.twitter.com/SbnjhbD4Zs

— Siddharth's Echelon (@SiddharthKG7) October 11, 2024

All members of Roop Kanwar's family were acquitted after 40 years

In October 2024, after nearly four decades, the court acquitted the final eight individuals charged in the case, citing a lack of substantive evidence. All accused, including Roop Kanwar's family members and those present during the incident, have now been acquitted.

The Roop Kanwar case also had political ramifications. The then Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shiv Charan Mathur, was forced to resign in 1988 due to his handling of the case and the aftermath, where it evolved into a communal and caste-based issue.

Despite the legal actions taken to prevent future occurrences, the Roop Kanwar case remains a symbol of the cultural and religious tensions that exist in parts of India. The glorification of her death by certain factions, even after the enactment of the Sati Prevention Act, reflects the complexities surrounding such age-old practices.