Jingles of history: Looking back at Mysore’s Devadasis Premium

“It did not happen in Madras till 1947. Mysore achieved it by administrative fiat as early as 1908-1909,” said historian Janaki Nair, while delivering a talk on “The Abolition of the Devadasi and her Dance” at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC). It was part of a four-part series on Mysore region’s history delivered by Nair.

The Devadasi system in the Karnataka region, which traces its origins to the close of eighth century, underwent a massive transformation through centuries. The system which flourished in Mysore province under the patronage of Wadiyars at a point of time started seeing opposition by the 19th century due to the regressive practices within it, influence of colonial morals and the onset of the anti-nautch movement. By 1908, Mysore became one of the earliest regions in Southern India to abolish the practice. 

“It did not happen in Madras till 1947. Mysore achieved it by administrative fiat as early as 1908-1909,” said historian Janaki Nair, while delivering a talk on “The Abolition of the Devadasi and her Dance” at the Bangalore International Centre (BIC). It was part of a four-part series on Mysore region’s history delivered by Nair.

As per Devadasis in Karnataka by Awadh Kishore Prasad, the oldest available inscriptions show one Aridari Paleyamma dedicating “a virgin, along with eight mattars of land, 1,000 cows and a swing for the deity,” to a local temple in “Mayile” village in 800 AD. More records emerge in the years that follow, indicating the presence of devadasis or “dancing girls” in Jain, Shaivite and Vaishnavite temples across the region.

By the end of 10th century, dedicating young girls to temples to perform services such as dancing, singing, drum beating, fanning the deities, carrying sacred aaratis and participating in temple processions became an established system.  

Portions of land or significant sums of money were set apart for the women and their expenses. The inscriptions on the wall of the Rajarajesvara temple in Thanjavur records the names of the 400 devadasis of the temple and their remuneration in the form land grants. Prasad cites an epigraph which mentions a grant of money for various items including ‘looking glass of the dancing girls’ and “the grant was to continue as long as sun and moon exist.” 

Many of the Devadasis rose in prominence and enjoyed significant wealth and social standing. A matrilinear tradition, the Devadasi system allowed the adoption of girls, and inheritance was through females. The institution of Devadasis – A study in the princely state of Mysore (1610 - 1910) by B.V. Sudhamani, cited by Nair in her talks, shows that the girls belonged to various castes such as Kurubas, Bedas, Gangadikara Vokkaligas, Telugu Banajigas and Lingayats, and formed a certain class in the society having their own laws of inheritance, rules of etiquettes and even panchayats. 

“The dedicated girl went through rigorous training in nritya and geeta. They were entitled to grants of land or of money and sometimes these grants were given by upper caste women themselves,” Nair points out.