Mobilities and leisure in later ages: The role of religious tourism in the lives of low-income older women in India

Background and objectives

With the expansion of low-income urban areas in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), the recognition of leisure opportunities for older women remains under-researched. This study uses a mobility framework to explore access to leisure for older adults in a low-income neighbourhood in Bengaluru, India.

Research design and methods

This ethnographic study included participant observations, 33 in-depth interviews with older adults, and key informants, supplemented by archival research to explore leisure mobility. The paper specifically focuses on a religious tour through rural Tamil Nadu, India, which the primary researcher undertook with a group of older women from one of Bengaluru's oldest low-income neighbourhoods.

Results

We found that community mobilities, such as the annual religious tours, enabled older women to temporarily escape urban hardships and offered them a phase of agency to plan their travel and leisure. Everyday mobility opportunities for travel unrelated to work were often not age-friendly or accessible. The religious tour on the rented bus became a theatre of devotion, a platform for performing spirituality, and a safe environment to sing, dance, and enjoy commensality.

Discussion and implications

The study contributes to the literature on how the social lives of economically disadvantaged older women are constrained by local cultural norms and limited opportunities for mobility. The religious tour, along with the process of organising and carrying it out, can be seen as an act of resilience by older women. Policies promoting inclusive ageing and transport infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries must be attuned to forms of mobility that do not neatly fit into categories such as leisure, social, spiritual, or religious.