2nd International Conference on New Frontiers of Engineering, Science, Management and Humanities (ICNFESMH-2017) at (NITTTR) National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Chandigarh, (MHRD, Govt. of India) on 11 th June 2017 ISBN: 978-81-934083-3-9 503 Dr.Pallavi Thakur A Journey of Hindu Women from Shakti to Sati in Ancient India Dr.Pallavi Thakur Assistant Professor, SOLC, Sharda University, Greater Noida Abstract Hinduism which has always formed a major section of Indian society has been highly religious and looked upon its religious texts as a guide to code of conduct. However the modern Hindu society, seems to be enveloped by materialism are side-lining the essence of being a Hindu. Women are pushed to a cul-de-sac of identity crisis. Dowry deaths, female foeticide, girl-chid discrimination, domestic violence, sexual exploitation are rampant in it which is not in coherence with the Hindu dictates. The grim situation forces us to ponder on the reasons which transformed the attitude of Hindu society towards its women. The present paper tries to examine the status of Hindu women in ancient India. It is an attempt to trace the reasons responsible for a gradual change in the outlook of Hindus towards it women. Key Words: education,rituals, marriage, streedhan, sati, child marriage Introduction Hinduism emerged as the basic religion of India during Vedic age. The period witnessed the emergence of myriad Hindu scriptures.The period of ancient Indian society can be divided into two parts- The Vedic Period (c.4000 B.C. to 1000 B.C.) and the age of the Smritis (c.800 B.C. to 300 AD).Aryans were the inhabitants of Vedic India. They were not the original residents of India. Their literary works, known as the Vedas, gave us for the first time a comprehensive picture of the social and religious ideas as well as political and economic condition (Majumdar 2003). The Aryans followed the Vedic rules propounded by the Vedic texts. The Vedas have three classes- The Samhitas, The Brahmanas and The Aranyakas. The Samhitas have four different texts- The RigvedaSamhita, The AtharvavedaSamhita, The SamavedaSamhita and The YajurvedaSamhita. The Rig Veda Samhita was written by priests for specific needs of the ritual services (Embree 5). The scholars and sages of ancient India formulated the laws governing the code of conduct both for men and women. All these laws are collected in eighteen Dharmashastras.The ancient India followed the precepts as given by various religious texts. 1. Vedic Period The analysis of the status of Hindu women is done on the basis of literature review. The Vedic texts as analysed by myriad researchers conclude that Hindu women enjoyed freedom and independence in Vedic Period. Women were found enjoying rights in all the streams of life. We find them as scholars and warriors. Women had the right to property and education. Women were treated equivalent to men and had freedom to develop and nourish their identity as per their choice. Various customs and traditions imbibed by the Hindu society gave full and active participation to its women. The rights and priviledges enjoyed by women have been individually discussed below:  Right to Education Education is essential for a society for its growth. It helps in removing ignorance and substitutes it with knowledge. The society which is blind to education is often seen governed by rigid fundamentalist and conventional social code of conduct. In contemporary time, Afghanistan is the best example of it. When people become rigid to the extent of becoming inhuman there can be no scope of development.