Devadasi
According to Hindu tradition, we must follow to varnashramadharma which divide our stage of life into 4 to accomplish our duty. The time to study Veda, marry and perform rituals as a house holder, leave house to meditate, renounces the world to seek the truth. As you see the all gods have their consort, being single is considered as abnormal and not perfect as a man. If you are not married, you are unbalanced.
Then what will happen to devadasi, the temple dancers who dedicated herself to gods?
There existed girls who became saints because she chose to marry the god. She is not a single because she was considered as a wife of god. Sometimes parents gave their daughter to the temple for their virtue. She will never be a widow. She is an eternal bride of the god. That’s why, as an auspicious existence, the Devadasi not only worked in the temples to worship gods but danced for weddings such as social functions and life-cycle cerebrations of family. They were financially independent because the temples gave her a land and the rich Brahmin land-owners were patrons of devadasi. The rich patrons had several wives and were common to have courtesans. The devadasi was not allowed to marry so that they adopted children. If they were girls, they taught dances and their sons became musicians or dance teachers.
After the dedicated girls were accepted to the temple, they undergo several rituals. Gajjay puja is a ritual of ankle bells. Even in this present time, gajjai puja are performed when the Bharatanatyam dancer concluded her dance lessons and starts to perform in the public. (Called arrangetram) Another ritual is a marriage ritual. The devadasi gets a flower garland which the god had and put a necklace (Tali, with golden bottu) and put pottu (sandal paste) on her forehead.
Devadasi performed rituals and dances for gods. They were trained dancers as well as singer and besides, they studied Tamil, Telgu and Sanskrit languages.
When we visit the Hindu temple, we see the cradle. This is used for the night ritual to make the god sleep. And they close the door. And early in the morning, devadasi sang the songs to wake the god up and feed him.
Reference:
Gaston, Anne- Marie, Bhratanatyam from temple to theater
