Sowbhagyavathi

Sowbhagyavathi (or Sowbhagyavati or Saubhagyavati) is the title used to refer to unmarried women in India (akin to Ms in English). It is often abbreviated as Sow or Sau.

The literal Sanskrit meaning is "Fortunate Woman". Usage and context change from the literal meaning. In some parts of India, apart from married women, unmarried women of marriage age are also referred to as Sowbhagyavati or Saubhagyavati and in some parts of India, unmarried women are referred as Saubhagyakankshini, abbreviated as 'Sau' in wedding invitations. Traditionally, the term is not used to refer to widows – presumably, it was felt that, given the death of their husbands, they were not fortunate.