Devadasi Tradition in India: Origin and Causes

 

Source: Deccan Herald

Introduction

Structural violence is the form of violence where social structures or social institutions harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs. A broader array of political, economic, historical, and structural factors (poverty, exploitation, gender inequality, racism, discrimination) may also play a central role in influencing and constraining behaviors and creating vulnerability. Structural violence also highlights modern-day inequality.

The practice of Devadasi is often equated with temple prostitution-a feature of religious life in many ancient civilizations. Devadasi system prevalent in Karnataka where women serving as temple maidens dedicated to Yellamma-Renuka, the deity to offer prayers. During the sexually active period, they leave the sacred center to serve the goddess by having sexual relations with other men and entering into the sex trade. Jogini is used interchangeably with Devadasi in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Caste System

The Devadasi system is prevalent among the lower caste people. The Jogini system is a socially accepted practice in South India. All Jogini are Dalit. One-third of visits to Dalit homes are refused by health workers. Dalit women are subjected to systematic oppression and structural violence within their communities and families. The untouchability and oppression make them more vulnerable.

Religious and Superstitious Beliefs

Even though there are other reasons, religious beliefs and superstitious beliefs have a significant role in the dedication of girls as Devadasi. There is a strong and blind faith in God/Goddess, which usually results in various reasons of dedicating girls for the wellbeing of the family ancestry to get male child, etc.

Hereditary Practice

The dedication of girls is also due to hereditary practice. Usually, the daughter of the devadasi is dedicated to the devadasi (Moni,2001).

Social Pressure

The upper-class men force the families to dedicate the young girls. Once the girl is dedicated, she should offer sexual service to upper-class men priests, and other men of power and money (Colindalur,2011).

Lack of Educational Opportunities

Without the father’s name, children may be refused entry even if it is no longer legal to turn away a child on this basis. The teacher may still make difficulties over the child’s registration, or otherwise make such children miserable by segregating them at the back of the class and ignoring them. Lack of awareness of sexual health increases vulnerabilities to STDs. Literate women better utilize healthcare institutions the more education that a woman has, the more likely she is to understand contraceptive methods including condom usage.

Lack of Independence in Financial Income and Expenditure

Local forms of labor provided extremely low wages. Thus, in the context of utmost poverty, despite their awareness of health risks and stigma attached to sex workers, most Devadasi women felt good about their profession. 

Gender Inequality

Gender inequality in education, employment, and access to health care also plays a crucial role in influencing girls and women to enter into this profession.

Poverty

Poverty is the key contributing factor when women enter into the sex trade. Poverty concerns not only money but the scarcity of options, time, and social distancing, all of which form a noticeable pattern and are also one of the causes to enter into the sex trade.

Social Isolation

Structural violence is exerted systematically and indirectly by everyone who belongs to a certain order and for a significant portion of Devadasis and Dalit women in rural communities violence is exerted via the state, neighbors, outsiders, and internally as well.

Health Aspects

Many devadasis work in the commercial sex industry and practice prostitution till the age of 40. In Karnataka, the fear of HIV means many devadasis do not have children, whilst infection itself provides a reason for devadasis dedicating their daughters due to their inability to raise them. These women cannot access medical care or birth control due to their rural location, criminality, the stigma of the practice their status as Dalit women, and poverty. 

Poverty concerns not only money but the scarcity of options, time, and social distancing all of which form a noticeable pattern; for women most at risk of HIV infection, life choices are limited by sexism, political violence, and grinding poverty. Devadasis are oversimplified as female sex workers limiting the state resources and medical care. Jogini is twice more likely than other women who are used for sexual intercourse in India to be HIV positive, and their rate of mortality from HIV is 10 times the total mortality rate for all women in India. The four states in India with the most Jogini also have the highest prevalence of HIV (Borick, 2014).

Conclusion

Poverty eradication schemes will help in the prevention and abolition of dedication of these women into such professions. Awareness campaigns need to be conducted targeting such young girls, especially educating the girl child of the harmful impacts of the devadasis. Rescue rehabilitation and reintegration of Devadasis is also needed. The role of NGOs cannot be ignored ,hence the government should liberally fund NGOs along with monitoring their activities in implementing the welfare schemes.

Written by: Anagha S