Devadasi

Devadasi

Female servant of a god
A 1920s photograph of two devadasis in South India
Formation	6th century AD
Founders	Keshari Dynasty
Type	Temple priestess
Headquarters	no central authority
Region served	Indian Subcontinent
Members	44,000 to 250,000 (2006)[1]
Ministry	Temple services (including rituals, music, dance)

In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life.^[2][3] The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taking care of the temple and performing rituals, these women also learn and practice classical Indian dances such as Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, and Odissi. Their status as dancers, musicians, and consorts was an essential part of temple worship.

Between the sixth and thirteenth centuries, Devadasis had a high rank and dignity in society and were exceptionally affluent as they were seen as the protectors of the arts. During this period, royal patrons provided them with gifts of land, property, and jewellery.^[4] After becoming Devadasis, the women would spend their time learning religious rites, rituals and dances. Devadasis were expected to live a life of celibacy, however, there have been several exceptions.^[5]

During the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, kings who were the patrons of temples lost their power, thus the temple artist communities also lost their significance.^[5] As a result, Devadasis were left without their traditional means of support and patronage and were now commonly associated with prostitution.^[6][7][8] The practice of Devadasi was banned during British rule, starting with the Bombay Devadasi Protection Act in 1934. The colonial view of Devadasi practices remains debated as the British colonial government were unable to distinguish the Devadasis from non-religious street dancers.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14]}

The Devadasi system is still in existence in rudimentary form, but under pressure from social activism at different times, some state governments have outlawed it, such as Andhra Pradesh with its 1988 Devdasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act and Madras with its 1947 Devdasis Act.^[15]