I have been watching the Sony series "Punyashlok Ahilya Bai", and the episodes have reached the scenes where, upon the death of the "Prince" who is her husband, the main person of the series Ahilya Bai then insists on committing Sati.
Some discussion was made with those I know, that Sati should never be made if the widow still has children who are not considered adult age, this would be the case of the episode because in this TV show based losely on actual historical events, Ahilya has two children who are still not considered adults, thus she should not commit Sati even if others think so.
But in one scene, preview of tomorrows episode, I see Ahilya dressed all in white, a clue that she will in the end not commit Sati. This is my thought, because it is my understanding one who commits Sati will dress in "wedding attire", never white. That a Sati never wears white, if wearing white then that would be "widow's clothes". So seeing Ahilya in the preview wearing white must mean she will not commit Sati, the "King" also argued that she should not.
Typically when Sati was still occurring 100 to 200 years ago, the female would commit Sati wearing wedding type gown with even ivory bangles (I believe ivory "jewelry" is now banned to protect species). In the past sometimes saptalu was worn in the past, but that is not the case later as that colour became used in puja.
Today, of course, Sati is illegal in India. In fact, even participating in watching a Sati is illegal, it is illegal to turn a Sati into a shrine in the 1990s and afterwards. However, shrines from the past are allowed and remain for religious, historical and archeological reasons.
Upon search of the internet, I found the last Sati in modern times are very, very rare, it is illegal, it seems these were the last known Sati:
"In May 2006, Vidyawati, a 35-year-old woman allegedly jumped into the funeral pyre of her husband in Rari-Bujurg Village, Uttar Pradesh. In August 2006, Janakrani, a 40-year-old woman, died on the funeral pyre of her husband in Sagar district. In October 2008, a 75-year-old woman committed sati by jumping into her 80-year-old husband's funeral pyre at Checher in Raipur."
What is the opinion of Sati? The first known (recorded) Sati was actually not "ancient" but in 500 AD, not ancient times. In the case of Goddess Sati self-immolation, it was not a case of Shiva's death, it was due to outrage by Sati over Daksha's insult, Daksha her father. So it did not deal with husband's death.
What is the opinion, statement, view, clarification of Sati on the pyre? Isn't this a more "modern" way, not ancient, not Vedic?