Devadasi : Temple Slaves

by William Watt    July 12, 2010

While traveling in India, I have encountered many behaviors and practices considered unusual by many Westerners.  The strangest I have come across are the lives of the Devadasi, or temple dancers.  Historically Devadasi were considered extremely spiritual, second only to Hindi priests.  But in recent years their reputation has digressed to little more than impoverished sex slaves of the temple. 

Most of these women are associated by the temple at birth, being the daughter's of other Devadasi.  Others are left at the temple steps as children.  The important fact is that the majority of the Devadasi in India did not choose their fate.

In a short video, an IndiaUnheard correspondent interviews several Devadasi, but from a different angle.  Instead of focusing on their sexual lives, she treats them as equals and invites them to share other aspects of their challenging lives such as what their futures might hold in their old age. Watch this video here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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