Prostitution In The Name Of The Lord- Devadasi System In Indian Temples
It is 2017, we have the internet, we live in a globalised society, but we still clutch on to our horrible traditions-
Temple prostitution.
The
Devadasi system, a 5000 year old tradition, is followed in many parts of India, despite being prohibited is basically ritualistic prostitution where girls as young as 5 years old are sold off to the village temples, for money.
These girls are then married to a deity and are forbidden from marrying anyone else in their lifetime.
The priest claims that they are now the goddess in the human form. Starting from the priest to the men in the village, everyone take turns to rape them, claiming devotion to the lord.
This tradition started from the myth that Devadasis bring good luck to the villages.
In earlier times, they had a place in the royal harem and had some form of respect. However and unfortunately, in modern times they are treated as untouchables, not even accorded the status of a human being.
Conclusion:
It is a heinous and inhuman practice that has resulted in forced slavery and prostitution on many. Escape is impossible and even if they escape, the social stigma is too much to lead a normal life.
Until and unless people themselves realise the horrific nature of the act, things won’t change. A regressive society with age old ideas and fuelled by a patriarchal mind-set will continue to force many more.
NGOs and other organisations have started helping out, but there are still miles to go.
Source:
http://edtimes.in/2017/02/prostitution-name-lord-devadasi-system-indian-temples/
@Soumitra Since you looked so concerned about women rights. I hope you and your fellow Sanghis will fight for the rights of these women.
Selling their bodies killing their souls: Plight of widows in Vrindavan and Mathura

Sati as a practice was not invented by Ancient Indian texts but by the greed of people. Most of the contemporary historians believe that the practice of Sati was encouraged to deprive the widows from the property of their deceased husbands. Family members (usually the surviving brothers of the deceased) cloaked their desires under the shadow of religion. Hinduism was used as a weapon to rightly ask for the lives of innocent widowed women. The women under societal pressure were made to self immolate themselves. This served twin purposes; the family was no longer entitled to maintain the widow and her sacrifice ensured that the share of her deceased husband would revert to the surviving members.
It is a privilege to state; the evil practice of Sati is no longer practiced in India. But at the same time it is a shame to admit that the condition of Hindu widows has turned worse with time. Even today most of the widows in the country are abounded from their houses. They have no place to go. They are unable to maintain themselves and thus are forced to take refuge under the Vidhwa ashrams.
Most of the ashrams in the country are situated in the holy cities of Vindravan and Mathura. It is estimated that Vrindavan has more than 4,000 temples and ashrams with about 2,957 widows living in them. The widows seek shelter in the ashrams for various reasons most of them being abounded or sexually abused by their family members believe that holy places like these would help them to attain salvation and would bring them nearer to god. Many regard Vrindavan as the only place where they can live and die peacefully with the protection of all mighty.
Unfortunately these ashrams do not have much to offer. Majority of the widows are seen begging on the streets or soliciting for earning their livelihood. Ashrams encourage practices of prostitution and sexual abuse to gauge funds and finance. The young widows are often supplied to rich customers by the ashram itself in lieu of a heavy sum. The ashrams are scattered with diseases like tuberculosis, STD’s and dysentery. There is inadequate number of toilets in most of the places. There is lack of proper sewage system and non-availability of running water in these places. The widows are forced to live in an unhygienic and unhealthy environment. They are unaware of the widow pension and health schemes and hardly take benefit of it. Recently issued report by National Commission for Women states that 80% of them are illiterate whereas 60% of them are above 60 years of age. Most of these old widows (even those who are unable to walk properly) have to climb stairs to reach their rooms. Some of them are too old to even cook for themselves. They are forced to sleep on pieces of jute sacks. They are neither supplied with blankets nor hot water in winters. Moreover there is no institutional support for cremation of the dead bodies. The necessities in today’s life are a luxury for these unfortunate ones.
The PIL filed by advocate Mr. Ravindra Bana in the Supreme Court in November 2008 had brought the grievances of this marginalized section in limelight. Supreme Court had issued directions to NCW for conducting a survey in this regard. After much delay NCW has finally released its report on the plight of these widows. It is disheartening that in spite of various initiatives by the government hardly any benefit is availed by these women. The report said “As per records of the district welfare office, 2,819 women received old age pension and 892 widow pensions. However, among the 225 randomly interviewed women 68 per cent were found without pensions and 58 per cent without ration cards.”
The Sevadasi system (service done to the rich and powerful pilgrims are seen as a form of piety) prevalent in these institutions, further encourage practices of trafficking and prostitution. Under this system, the widows are supposed to offer every service to please the owners of Dharamshalas and Bhajan Ashrams in which sex is also included. The Bhajan ashrams offer these widows to earn Rs 3 to 4 a day and some meagre ration, if they assemble in the bhajan ashrams to sing bhajans (devotional songs) in mornings and evenings. The food, shelter and clothing of these destitute women depend on the mercy of these ashrams and some courteous travellers.
Most of the widows who reach these Bhajan ashrams belong to West Bengal and Bangladesh. The government of U.P. and W.B. have failed to take any collaborative steps to improve the situation of these widows. The widow pension granted by U.P. government is Rs.1, 800 a year, or Rs.150 a month. Although on records it seems that this meagre amount is serving its purpose, in reality it is not. The shelter homes built by the government have only provided limited relief to them. The government has turned a blind eye towards the illegal practices observed in these ashrams. Deepa Mehta who directed ‘Water’, the film which through a fictional story depicted the miseries of the widows living in these ashrams had to face opposition from all sections of the society. The close nexus between politics and religious bigots has always proved dreadful. If the government actively opposes the practices in Vrindavan, it would face opposition from both public and religious leaders. Most of the widows being uneducated become vulnerable. The victims are scared to raise their voices against the Dharamshalas and Bhajan Ashrams as they know they have no other place to go.
It is very important that the widows are made aware of their legal and constitutional rights. The pensions must be increased and should duly reach the beneficiaries. Some part of the tourism revenue earned from Mathura and Vrindavan must be utilized for the upliftment of these widows. The welfare legislations like Hindu Succession (Amendment 2005) Act and Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 have definitely ensured that widows are not deprived of their husband’s property. But unfortunately these widows are found unaffected by the legal developments around the country. They must be provided with vocational training. Psychological and medical help must be made available to them. Medical facilities and hygienic conditions must be ensured in these ashrams. The number of government shelter homes must be increased. Above all citizens must be made aware of the injustices done to this vulnerable section. A public pressure can indeed bring considerable changes in these places. I seriously think by selling the bodies of these pious women, the ashrams are killing their souls and somewhere I hold everyone of us responsible for this injustice.
Source:
http://www.legaldrift.com/selling-t...ls-plight-of-widows-in-vrindavan-and-mathura/
City of Widows: The 38,000 forgotten women of Varanasi
Elderly widows wait for a medical check-up organised by Sulabh International at a widow's care centre in VaranasiGetty
Varanasi, one of Hinduism's seven holy cities, is a colourful and cultural hub of northern India. Most visitors agree the ancient city on the banks of the River Ganges is magical. Yet the city harbours a darker secret – it is home to 38,000 widowed women, a marginalised and forgotten population of which the majority live in poverty. Abandoned in the city and shunned by society, many seek refuge in the different ashrams for widows.
"Varanasi is known as the City of Widows," says Lord Raj Loomba, a member of the British House of Lords and the founder of the
Loomba Foundation, which aims to promote the economic empowerment and welfare of disadvantaged widows and their children. Ten years ago today (23 June), the United Nations officially recognised International Widows' Day, launched by Loomba in 2005.
"When widows are thrown out of their households, they come to Varanasi because it is a holy city. It is the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, and they believe that if they die there they will go straight to heaven. Widows call it moksha – when the final release from reincarnation is gained."
A significant proportion of the widows in Varanasi – around 12,000 – are aged between 20 and 45. Poverty and disease, including HIV infection, are some of the main reasons young women are being widowed at such a young age. But cultural practices, namely child marriage, are a major driving force behind the problem in India.
"Girls are often married at an early age, sometimes as teenagers to much older men. When the men die, the women are left as widows," Loomba says. The country has the highest number of child brides in the world. Although fewer girls are marrying before the age of 15,
rates of marriage among those aged 15 to 18 have increased to 29.2%. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, also has the most married children – around 2.8 million according to
census figures. Poverty, dowries, gender expectation, tradition and a lack of education opportunities for girls are behind the numbers.
A 40-year-old widow sits outside her shop in Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar PradeshGetty
Poverty is killing men, contributing to the young age of Varanasi's widows, Loomba says. "Men often have to work in unconventional environments, in factories or on roads where the temperature can reach 45 degrees centigrade, so they die at an early age.
"Not only do women normally live longer than men, HIV is killing many. All these reasons mean there are more widows than widowers."
Six years after the foundation began in India, Loomba's research revealed the problem was global. There are estimated to be 258 million widows worldwide, a 9% increase since 2010. Of these women, 14.8% live in extreme poverty – their basic needs go unmet. Without their husbands, widows are removed from visibility and discarded as social outcasts. They not only face discrimination as women but are left vulnerable to rape, murder, physical violence, prostitution, trafficking, forced labour and eviction.
In Varanasi, and other northern holy cities such as Vrindavan, widows are expected to relinquish all pleasure in life. Holi, the festival of colours, is one of the largest Hindu holidays celebrated across India. Yet orthodox traditions forbid widows from taking part. In parts of the country, however, women are reclaiming their right to celebrate Holi. In 2013, the NGO Sulabh International organised three days of festivities in Varanasi and Vrindavan, to include widows in mainstream society and reduce social stigma.
By providing widows with training and education, the Loomba Foundation hopes to empower women and their families to overcome poverty in the long-term. Of the younger Varanasi widows, the charity plans to speak to 5,000 to assess what kind of job they would like.
"We will speak to each and every one of them and ask what field of work they are interested in," Loomba says. "There are quite a few areas where widows don't have to have graduated from university or college but they can learn the basics of a trade and find a job."
A Nepali woman rests inside a widows home in VaranasiReuters
"We have a sewing machine project where we train people to make garments and then give them a machine so they can start a business or make money, but we also train women to use computers or teach them English, as well as hair and beauty training to work in salons."
Rashida was 39 when her husband died in 2008. She was the only breadwinner for her seven family members, five of which were her children. With no money, she couldn't feed her children or send them to school, as she was barely earning a dollar a day. She had no help from relatives and her in-laws abandoned her, forcing her son to give up school to help her earn more money. In 2012, Rashida was given a sewing machine and training and she now earns around 3,000 rupees (£30, $47) a month.
As well as vocational training, Loomba says around 18 women are being sent to universities to study for degrees in engineering. "In two years, they will be engineers and can get very good jobs," he adds. "We want to empower widows by providing them with training, so they can find a job and live a life of dignity."
Another woman, living in poverty in Delhi with her five daughters, received hair and beauty care training for two months. "We helped her open a salon," Loomba says, adding that Cherie Blair, a patron of the foundation, attended the launch of the business. "The woman is now doing extremely well. She has been able to send her daughters to school."
But it is essential not only to help widows get back on their feet, but to provide their children with an education – to undercut the cycle of poverty from generation to generation. To date, the foundation has educated over 10,000 children of widows across India. It provides each child with a scholarship of 500 rupees per month, enough to support the child while providing a sustainable amount for the mother.
Indian widows attend a prayer meeting organised by NGO Sulabh International on the banks of Ganges river in VaranasiGetty
The foundation has grown incredibly since it began in 1997. One of the major successes is International Widows' Day on 23 June, the day when Loomba lost his father. His mother, Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, was widowed at the age of 37.
"I grew up as a widow's son and I saw my mother facing discrimination and prejudice," he says. "I was only ten when my father died. His body was still lying in the house being prepared for cremation when my grandmother, who herself was a widow, ordered my mother to change her clothes to white and to remove her bindi – the sign of marriage for women.
"Life changed completely from top to bottom overnight because she lost her husband. My father was a very successful businessman who had good clothes and my mother was living the high life. All of a sudden she was demeaned because my father died."
Too young to realise this at the time, it was only when Loomba married his wife Veena – co-founder of the foundation – that he understood the extent to which widows are marginalised.
"At our wedding, the priest asked my mother to move away from altar she could bring bad luck to the new couple as a widow," he says. "That really made me angry. I thought how could a mother who gave birth to me, educated me, looked after me, who always wished me well – how could she cause problems for me?"
Loomba's mother was affluent and able to provide her children with an education. But this is not the case for many widows, he adds. "There are women who can't send their children to school and poverty perpetuates from generation to generation. It seemed we weren't doing anything about the problem, just sweeping it under the carpet."
"If we help and empower widowed women then poverty will be reduced. Widows, their children and other dependents are all affected on a huge scale. It is a calamity we cannot ignore."
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/city-widows-38000-forgotten-women-varanasi-1505560