Devadasi System

Developing nation, India, has finally reached the stage where it can see that not only common people but the government itself is standing with the people and implementing various acts. Now countryside India is merging with new thinking and new beliefs shedding off the superstitious beliefs related to women.

India has a wrenching history which may pop up in your eyes, the state governments from South India had their high hand on dozens of petty districts, small towns, and villages, where women were intervened in the thorny, vicious circle of “devadasi system” – a tradition that prevailed even before Independence and passing on from centuries.

Approximately 30,000 women were trapped in this system on the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka, across 10 to 14 districts.
The government, when noticed the exploitation of women of the baseless superstitious beliefs, took a stand and brought stringent norms to punish those who participate, promote the devadasi system. Government has begun it with various rehabilitating innocent women.
Government is against this inhuman activity and the Karnataka government has ended the Karnataka devadasis means prohibition of dedication act. And with coercion and cognized planning wit non-bailable offence. This system is a complex concept comprised of sensual identities, organized crimes against lower castes, struggled survival dignity of women.

Devadasi is a system where women worshipped the deity, who performed the dance form ‘Sadir’ (Bharatnatyam) and those who trained them would have a relation like prostitute with the devadasi and also had these patrons had another wife who served them. The devadasi term explains “goddess servant”.

India has been slowly secluding itself from such a rigid and humiliating tradition. How humiliating it is to see a tradition like devadasi system termed to be a so-called ‘tradition’ which is coated in silver and coal from within by giving a title as a “sacred tradition.”
These women suffered from various diseases like HIV, Cancer and various STDs which not only led a girl or woman to have a colourful dream of her healthy, independent, delighted career and life. Where all the hopes of the devadasis seemed to be shattering the rescued devadasis from temples of Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka borders and as per Indian National Commission for Women Welfare protected and secured the shattering dreams of these victims to this tradition. Various rehabilitation centres and development programmes were launched to protect the dignity and respect of women.

Various national policies have been launched, women are given good education, jobs and businesses, now people are being made aware for shedding off such unethical beliefs and merging themselves with ignited spirits, hopes, new thinking and optimism.

[author image=”http://www.aapkatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Gaurangi.jpg” ]I am Gaurangi Joshi student of Journalism, from K .J .Somaiya , Mumbai. Loves reading, writing, traveling and an amateur artist. Read my writings at gaurangi2020.blogspot.in
Contact: gaurangi@aapkatimes.com [/author]

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