The self-immolation of widows , known as sati a widow becomes sati , a virtuous woman , by climbing onto her husband 's funeral pyre has disappeared , but the monkey-god Hanuman and elephant-headed Ganesh are still idolized , and nobody will dare to deny the sanctity of the cow and all her milk , curd , butter , and dung , the last of which is used for fuel .
The practice of self-immolation by widows was largely just a myth .