Woman mortgages mangalsutra for building toilet

​Sasaram: A rural woman in Bihar has been made the brand ambassador of the Total Sanitation Programme after she mortgaged her ‘mangalsutra’ to get a toilet at home. ‘Mangalsutra’ is a sacred thread which a Hindu woman wears around her neck as a symbol of marital life.

Phool Kumari took the step after she had failed to raise adequate money by working as a cook at a local primary school as her farm labourer husband’s income is meagre, the local panchayat said.

She also braved the opposition of male members of her family while mortgaging her ‘mangalsutra’ to arrange the required money, they said.

Rohtas District Magistrate Animesh Kumar Parashar said, “On Wednesday, I and other district administration officials would participate in the inauguration of construction work for a toilet at Kumari’s house in the presence of her husband and father-in-law.” 

The woman was made brand ambassador of the total sanitation programme in the district to inspire others, the District Magistrate said. “We will ensure that the toilet is constructed within 10 days,” he said.