Devadasi

(“[female] servant of the lord”) Name for
a class of women kept in temples as
singers and dancers in the service of the
temple’s presiding deity, to whom they
were usually considered to be “married.”
Their special status prevented them
from marrying human husbands,
although in many cases they would form
long-term liaisons with prominent local
men. Any daughters born from such
liaisons would in turn be dedicated to
the temple, while sons would be trained
as musicians. In many cases, devadasis
had unusual legal rights, such as the
ability to own, manage, and transfer
property, which for most women were
vested only in their husbands. At best,
these devadasis were literate and cultured women, whose talents brought
them considerable status, while at worst
(as was often the case in the nineteenth
century) they were prostitutes whose
services enriched the temple. The latter
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Devadasi
situation prompted the British to formally ban this practice, despite their
general reluctance to interfere in Hindu
religious affairs.