Devdasi

Debdasi

Indian Classical Dance forms were nurtured with a purpose in the sacred premises of temples. Since ancient times, in Hindu thought dance was one of the most beautiful expressions of the divine, the eternal rhythms of the universe, powerfully and exquisitely

symbolised in the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva.Once sustained and nurtured in temples as part of a rich and vibrant temple tradition, classical dance in India has remained over centuries a dynamic, living tradition that is continuously renewed.Dance in India was a highly evolved and complex art. It was an integral part of ancient Indian theatre as established by the Natya Shastra, the oldest and exhaustive treatise on theatre and dramaturgy. Dance dramas were performed in temple precincts. Dance movements were crystallised in stone as karanas in temple sculpture. Following the Bhakti movement in the 6th century, dance and music became powerful vehicles of veneration.

In India, the position of women in Hindu civilization has been submissive due to suppression. Society expected her to be a householder, fully religious and adhering to the duties of a woman. They are expected to undertake fasts and other ritual observances on

behalf of others. For the past four thousand years, they have been subjected to various forms of humiliation ranging from torture including sati to court dancers.Their aspirations and earnest for a better life have almost always been subdued by male chauvinism. This forceful submission is usually relegated, albeit wrongfully, to the Hindu shastras.Temple dancing was imbued with the idea of taking art to the people and conveying a message to the masses. The temple rituals necessitated the physical presence of mortal women (instead of the ornate, carved figures of apsarās) to propitiate the gods. The allegorical view of dance, used for the purpose of the pleasing the devas, was gradually transformed into a regular, service (withdeep religious connotations) in the temples. This was possibly the reason behind the origin of devadāsīs, the earliest performers of the classical Indian dances. A devadasi was a girl married to a deity, who dedicated her life in service of the temple or deity. They were supposed to pursue the dance forms devotedly and excel in them. They lived and danced only in the templ premises, their vocation enjoying great religious prestige.




In the ancient times the devadasis were divided into seven categories. They are known as Dutta, Hruta, Bikrita, Bhrutya, Alankara and Gopika or Rudraganika. Such categories reveal the origin and status of the devadasis. When a sacred man offered his daughter to a temple

as a devadasi, she is known as “Dutta devadasi”. But when a lady was kidnapped and subsequently employed in a temple, she is known as “Hruta devadasi”. Sometimes when a lady was sold to the administrator or the priest of a temple, she is known as “Bikrita devadasi”. If a lady voluntarily worked in a temple as a devadasi, she is known as “Bhrutya devadasi”. Some women who devotionally offered themselves to serve the temple are known as “Bhakta devadasi”. When a woman after attaining a certain degree of competence, is offered to the temple with ornaments, she is known as “Alankara devadasi”. The devadasis who were getting remunerations for offering dance and music in the temple in a particular time became identified as “Gopika” or “Rudraganika”. These classes of the devadasi were receiving fixed remunerations and some landed property for their personal use.



The devadasi tradition was prevalent in the Hindu Temples of Southern India. There was a custom amongst the Korea (weaver) community of Chigalput district of Madras that they had to donate or offer their eldest daughter to a temple. These girls were called “Basava” in Telugu and “Murali” in Maharastra. Some of them were actually led a sacred and celebrated life devoting themselves to God. Some others became the victims of the sexual lust of the priests and other temple officers and sometimes even of the influential people of the community.