Devadasis: Dedicated to God or Sold to Prostitution?
by An ancient outlawed system continues to mask flesh trade.
As a prelude to this article, I wrote How Devadasi system came about, how it promoted fine arts and how it degenerated in later years. Bharatanatyam in Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh, Odissi in Orissa and Mohini-yattam in Kerala have their origins in the tradition of devadasi dance.
I also mentioned in the article that during the electrified atmosphere of the freedom struggle days, many high caste women extricated the art forms from the confines of the temple, assembled and codified various practices and brought about dignity to dancing as an art, as a result of which commoners, including the high caste women, took to learning dance.
Though this brought to limelight a few influential women, the bulk of the devadasi women had little to gain. The government banned it, the educated class ridiculed it, and the royal patronage disappeared with the disappearance of princely states. A whole community of devadasis with little skills or education were caught unprepared on the cross-roads.
The devadasi system is similar to the geisha system prevalent in Japan as well as in many other parts of the world. What is reprehensible about the system is the use of religious sanction by the powerful feudal landlord-temple priest nexus to exploit the poverty and ignorance of the lower caste women whom some journalist described as ‘untouchable during day and highly desirable by night’.
You can see the devadasi system still flourishing in several parts of India – for example, in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. In many of these states, there are festivals when girls are dedicated to goddesses. Below is the picture of Yellamma temple at Saundatti in the Belgaum district of North Karnataka in India where an annual fair called Yellamma Devi fair is held on the full moon day of January-February. On this occasion, the goddess Yellamma is worshipped as a divine incarnation of the Universal Energy principle, Shakti.
The Saundatti Yellamma temple at Belgaum, North Karnataka where girls are initiated; Source
As the ceremony is now prohibited by law, it is not conducted in the temple precincts anymore, but clandestinely in the surrounding hills. Many parents, blinded by tradition and driven by poverty, give away their girls to the temple as a form of service. The girls bathe in a tank in the temple and wear a neem-leaves garment and get married to the deity amidst much fanfare, and the temple priest ties the ‘thali’ or the insignia of matrimony.
Dressed in neem leaves; Source
Dedicated to Yellamma; Beads of bondage? Source
Khandoba temple at Jejuri, Maharashtra, where women (Muralis) are dedicated to gods; Source
A 2004 report by the National Human Rights Commission of the Government of India reports that the practice was still prevalent in around 10 districts of northern Karnataka and 14 districts in Andhra Pradesh, and the women migrate either to nearby towns or other far-off cities to practice prostitution after initiation as devadasis. They are also known by various other local terms, such as Jogini, Basavi, Matangi, Venkatasani, Kalavant, Mathamma, Muralis and Thevadiya.
Many urban Indians would swear this practice doesn’t exist in their country, but the facts are otherwise. The following video ‘The Holy Wives’ shows the life and struggle of Devadasis in Karnataka, Mathammas in Andhra Pradesh and Bedinies in Madhya Pradesh. In the case of Bedini system in Madhya Pradesh, a nomadic de-notified community, women remain unmarried and engage in prostitution for to eke out a living. Young Bedia girls between the age group of 13 or 14 get in to prostitution through an open auction in the village which is called Nathutharai and Siridakai.
I can only ask my fellow Indians not to treat these as media hype or exaggerated reports. Face the truth, even if it is disturbing.
Reference
http://members.fortunecity.com/tnwforum/mathamma.html
http://www.evabell.net/article_list/Of_Divine_Bondage.htm
http://www.worldpulse.com/node/20710
http://www.sikhspectrum.com/052007/devadasi.htm
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/11/01/stories/2003110105520100.htm
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Post CommentKopykween
On February 16, 2011 at 7:23 am
It makes me sad to see this state of affairs. If only there was something that could be done to help these women.
Uma Shankari
On February 16, 2011 at 8:11 am
Kopykween, thanks.
There are many social organizations who are working on this. The first step is to make the women self sufficient. So these organizations help to set up self help groups and procure loans from micro-financing banking institutions. Then they motivate the women to become leaders and spread the word. They also teach them safe sex, as most women suffer from HIV. Surely and steadily, there is an improvement; it is just that the magnitude of the problem is far from being small.
Kate Smedley
On February 16, 2011 at 9:18 am
That’s awful, I’m glad something is being done to try and improve the situation, please keep us updated Uma.
valli
On February 16, 2011 at 10:19 am
It is so awful that still such systems are prevalent throughout the world.
giftarist
On February 16, 2011 at 8:19 pm
This is sad. But hopefully there will be ways to improve the situation.
LCM Linda
On February 17, 2011 at 4:21 am
Sad for the girls. Hope more efforts can be given to abort the practice instead of letting it unspoken, but still prevailing.
UncleSam
On February 17, 2011 at 4:43 am
Nice share
albert1jemi
On February 17, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Great work
Ranjan Mathews
On February 17, 2011 at 11:54 pm
I have always wondered why all such uncivilised acts take place mostly in Karnataka– Eunuch festivals, female nude worships, cockfighting and so much more. Ugh.
sujaysen
On February 25, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Previously lot of Indian women had suffered due to superstition. There must be revolution to stop this immediately.
J.I. Smith
On February 27, 2011 at 10:01 am
This is a really interesting article: I watched a documentary about this a while ago.
It’s sad that girls go through this, but some families actually seem to really want their children to do it, because they get paid more money than they otherwise could. It’s a complex issue, but you’re probably right to say that it’s important to find some way for them to become self-sufficient.
Utsav
On August 20, 2011 at 10:33 am
I’m a Law student. Its just today that I came to know about “Mathammas”. The documentary “The Holy Wives” was shown to us in college. I’m very sure that the Government in those states is not putting enough effort to curb this menace. Rather they are actually encouraging it since the loan the Govt. had promised to provide them so that they could stand on their own feet, have all been utilized by our so called politicians to fulfill their needs in buying BMW, AUDI and Jimmy Choo shoes along with Canali Suits. Now I know why this luxury brands are selling like “HOT CAKES” in India!! I really condemn the act of those E*N*CHS sitting in their AC rooms and giving interviews about “INDIA, THE SUPERPOWER IN MAKING”. I would like to tell them that if you really want India to shine, then EMPOWER the poor and wretched, India will automatically shine brighter than Sun.