The all-powerful colour red that symbolizes Saubhagya or good luck in the Hindu context makes a distinction between the 'haves' and 'have-nuts' among women.
Upon her husband's demise, the Hindu widow is supposed to discard everything that is red. The red Tika, red Sindoor and red coloured clothes which she used to proudly wear are taken away from her. She is made to stand out in a crowd — a subject of pity, the 'unfortunate bidhawa'.
What has the woman done to deserve this fate? A woman suffers enough when her life-partner dies without having the need to look different from the majority of women. This is particularly poignant when a young woman is widowed and is now expected to look drab and is denied the brighter colours of life.
Although not wearing red does not hurt the widow economically, it is the single most important item that distinguishes her from the rest of the women and makes her feel, somehow, inauspicious.