India, Aug. 8 -- The Madhya Pradesh High Court showered praise on a woman for "staying rooted" in her "dharma as a wife", and not giving up symbols of her marriage, even after being abandoned by her husband for nearly two decades.

A bench of Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi dismissed the divorce plea by the woman's husband filed on grounds of cruelty, and observed that as per the Hindu concept, "marriage is a sacred, eternal and indissoluble union".

It added that an "ideal Indian wife", even when deserted by her husband, "continues to embody strength, dignity and virtue".

The court added that her conduct is rooted in "dharma, cultural values and sanctity of marital bond".

The couple in this case got married in Novem...