Old Age and The
Dragon Of Hope
Introduction
The Devdasis’ walked around the temple, it was 5am
and they were waiting for the God’s to wake up. It was a cold morning, as cold
it could get in Mysore, a small Southern Indian town, which for a long time and
even today continued to have a King and a Palace. Before the
British domination in India and the defeat of Tipu Sultan in 1799, the Devdasis’
were held in high status, the Kings were the patrons of the Temples and Arts, the
system flourished under their patronage. Young dancers who served the temple promoted dance forms, amongst the most popular being Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi and Mahiniyattam. In the Purana's which are ancient Hindu Religious texts, there are rich references to this tradition which prospered under the grace of the ancient Kings.
When the British took over India in the early 19th century, the Kings were overthrown unless they complied with the wishes of the British, with the Kings gone or servile, the Devdasi were thrown out from their position of status and were left to fend for themselves. Those days in India, the temple didn’t have an income high enough to afford Devdasi and soon they had to give into prostitution.
Soon enough, when the country gained independence in
1947, the Devdasi System degenerated, “Young girls given to the temple at young
ages of 4-5 years, to serve God and the Temple," and when
they turned adolescent they were forcibly sent into prostitution, then in 1988,
the Devdasi’s system was outlawed by the Judiciary.
Give Me Hope For I am Forlone today, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom
Give Me Hope For I am Forlone today, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom
The Road Map to Freedom
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An
article in the Guardian in 2011, opened the eyes of a lot of people, and the research shows that the Devdasi’s today are a cursed clan,
“Given to the temple at young age, a system that allows rich men to take them as concubines and then left to fend for themselves in red light districts around the country.”
“Given to the temple at young age, a system that allows rich men to take them as concubines and then left to fend for themselves in red light districts around the country.”
Clearly, the tradition has run aground, however in a country that is still besieged by age old redundant customs, people continue to follow blindly what they should have discarded long time ago. Poverty, disease and neglect has greeted the Devdasi’s where ever they make their way. In the article titled, “Sex, Death and God,” it is a telling tale.
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