Religion, Gender and Sexuality: The Devadasi System in Assam

Abstract

The Devadasi tradition exists in some temples of India as a religious practice which requires the offering of pre-puberty girls for the worship of a deity or service to the temple for the rest of their lives. The Devadasi System in Assam is distinct from those prevalent in other parts of India in more ways than one. The article traces the trajectory of the system over the centuries, from an obscure origin with traits of Tibetan influence, to its apparent reduction to a mere dance form, ‘devadasi nritya’, which lost its divine sanctity and degenerated into ‘natinach’ by the 11th century, and has been on the wane since the 20th century. It delineates the gendered spaces and illustrates how religion, as a part of the masculine power structure, itself becomes the motor through which power and hierarchy are challenged under Ahom rule. It also examines the Devadasi system of Assam as a complex cultural practice rooted in religion, and organically linked to economy, society and even political power, through the lens of gender and within a framework of intersectionality of religion, class, caste, gender and sexuality. Religion and gender are here seen not as variables but as ‘mutually constitutive social categories’ and religion itself is viewed in the broader context of gender, sexuality and culture.