Originally Posted by Dipali

I don’t think its all bullshit, I have not done any personal research or know anybody personally who did any research on this subject, but in India various books in different language are available about sacred prostitution . Devadasi Pratha which probably still exists in some areas in India is supposedly going on from ancient times, but its existence found mostly in script written in Mughal periods which is not so ancient in Indian history. I have seen some movies made on Devadasis, and read a few books in English and in Bengali, but I cannot remember any of the writer names of the books. The Devadasis not always used to be such as prostitute but rather an entertainer who lived in the temple premises and lived on whatever was offered by the king or local jamindar or the main priest. They usually enjoyed a higher status in society , as many used to view them human wife of God. In the present day India, a Devadasi will be almost impossible to find, but time to time their story still pops up, mainly because of their exploitation as a sex subject .


Dear Dipali,
I have read a little about the Devadasi, but do not know alot about them. I am addressing the "human wife of God" part of your statement, though, because it, at least at one time, had a different meaning in one of the Christian religions. When I was growing up I often attended Catholic schools, and the nuns wore wedding rings in several of them. It seems that at least in some orders, the nuns wore them as a symbol of their "marriage" to God. They were supposed to be celibate. Interesting how this concept has different meanings in different cultures, but I think India has always had a firmer grasp than the Judeo/Christian/ Islamic tradition, on sex as a facet of the Divine.
Not that any groups have ever treated women any better than the others!!
Regards,
A'isha

Kind regards