http://skepdic.com/devadasi.html
"Devadasi is a religious practice in parts of southern India,
including Andhra Pradesh, whereby parents marry a daughter to a deity
or a temple.The marriage usually occurs before the girl reaches
puberty and requires the girl to become a prostitute for upper-caste
community members. Such girls are known as jogini. They are forbidden
to enter into a real marriage.
Joginis are recognised by their copper bangles, the band they wear
round their necks with a leather pendant and a long necklace with
several pendants which have the image of Goddess Yellamma.
The practice was legal in India until1988, yet it still continues as
is evidenced by the testimony of a 35-year-old former jogini named
Ashama. She ran away from her village and returned to lead the fight
to abolish the illegal practice. The local police do not enforce the
law and the villagers themselves make no effort to abolish the
heinous practice.
"Since the day of the initiation, I have not lived with dignity. I
became available for all the men who inhabited Karni. They would ask
me for sexual favours and I, as a jogini, was expected to please
them. My trauma began even when I had not attained puberty."
Ashama was seven when her parents married her to the local god. She
was recently awarded the Neerja Bhanot award for courage.
The practice of religious prostitution is known as basivi in
Karnataka and matangi in Maharastra. It is also known as venkatasani,
nailis, muralis and theradiyan.
It has been the Atheist Centre of Vijayawada, India, that has been
most instrumental in the movement to eradicate this pernicious
religious custom."
--
William T Goodall
Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk
Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/
"Mac OS X is a rock-solid system that's beautifully designed. I much
prefer it to Linux." - Bill Joy.
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