The Devadasi system is a religious practice in south India mostly prevalent in Karnataka and Telangana, and partly in Andhra Pradesh. Parents, mostly from poor communities of the untouchable class, marry off their daughters to a local deity or a temple.
It was a practice that existed for more than 5,000 years.
Once dedicated, a girl is considered to be married to the goddess and is never allowed to marry a man.
When the girl reaches physical maturity, she is then forced to begin her life as a prostitute. Though the Indian government banned the practice in 1988, it still continues clandestinely.
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