Ranchi, April 4 (IANS) A widow was forced to wear a garland made of shoes and her face was blackened after she defied a ban on her to offer prayer at a temple in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand. According to reports appearing in the local media, Kalawati Devi was banned by villagers from entering the temple as she was a widow.

Driven by superstition, the villagers claimed her husband died due to her and her entry into the temple will prove to be a bad omen for the villagers particularly to married women.

Kalawati, a resident of Pawapur village that comes under Haiharpur police station of Dhanbad district around 240 km from Ranchi, dared to violate the ban and prayed in goddess Kali temple Tuesday.

The villagers gathered near the temple and forced her to wear a garland made of shoes. Later the villagers blackened her face and moved her in the village.

According to reports, the victim registered a case against six men and 30 women of the village. The villagers Wednesday demonstrated in front of the police station and demanded withdrawal of the case.