This paper analyses the dominant peasant cultural philosophy sanctifying customs and attitudes in relation to women in rural Punjab in the colonial period. The study also highlights the role of the colonial administration in retaining and reinforcing the emergent dominant social ethos of the Punjabi peasantry. In the agrarian society of the Punjab the socio-cultural ethos were determined by the land owning classes especially by the Jats which emerged as the dominant caste in social, economic and numerical terms. The domination by a single caste set the tone and shaped the custom of levirate marriages was followed by other agriculturists' castes except the Rajputs in Punjab. The underlying logic of retaining the widow within the family ranging from control of her property, labour, her sexuality and reproductive capacity, to control of her options regarding marriage partners. Keeping in view the different socio-economic factors of the region, the present study in an attempt to explore various dimensions of the widow remarriage in Punjab which is called Karewa in the present context. The paper analysis the reasons of Karewa, its acceptability, impact of Karewa on life of a woman through gender perspective. Efforts have also been made to understand status of the women who are bound to accept Karewa as a social stigma which is influenced by the patriarchal structure of the society. The study is both qualitative and quantitative in nature.