From Sacred Servant to Profane Prostitute:
A History of the Changing Legal Status of the Devadasis in India, 1857 - 1947
by Kay K. Jordan
Published by Ajay Kumar Jain for Manohar Publishers & Distributors (India)

• " For centuries, the devadasis of India were regarded as sacred servants who devoutly served Hindu religious images by dancing or singing in the temple" (p. 1)

• "...It is evident how the king, a kind of sacred servant himself, might affirm the devadasis as 'sacred servants,' while the British colonial government might view them as 'profane prostitutes." (p. 36)

• "These bills reflected the evolution of a modern Indian worldview that was justified by appeals to the ascetic elements in the Indian tradition and a desire to purge the Hindu religion of any practice associated with promiscuous sexuality condemned by modern civilized nations." (p. 147)

• Kay Jordan is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Radford University, Radford, Virginia. The common thread that runs through her teaching, scholarship, and professional activities is concern for human rights, expanding opportunities for women throughout the world, and academic freedom.

• This book can be ordered from
  Manohar Publishers
  4753/23 Ansari Road,
  Daryaganj, New Delhi
  India 110002
• Click for Order blank
• 184 plus xii pages, includes bibliography and index.
• 6.5 inches x 9.75 inches, hardbound.