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The Temple and the Society

Throughout our history, the temple has exercised an enormous influence on our social life. Apart from keeping the torch of dharma urning aloft, the temple has been a great cementing factor. Its shrine and icons have given peace to the frustrated minds. The construction and maintenance of the building have provided employment to the architects, artisans, sculptors and labourers. Religious discourses and musical discourses (pravacanas and harikathas) have helped the propagation of religion, Music, dance and other fine arts have received great encouragement and provided pure and elevating type of entertainment to the devotees. Being a centre of learning, the temple helped in the acquisition and propagation of knowledge. Both scholars and students found shelter there. With its

enormous wealth, it also acted as a bank to the needy, giving easy credits. The granaries of the temple helped to feed the hungry, and those unable to earn their livelihood due to disease and deformity. There are several instances of even hospitals and dispensaries being run by the temple. The temple often played the role of a court of law for settling disputes. The temple also gave shelter

to the people during wars. Thus the temple was al1-in-all in the social life of our country for centuries.

It may not be out of place if we describe here in a few words, the system of the temple-dancers, commonly known as devadasis. If the god in the temple is considered to be a living being, it is but natural that the devotees should deem it a privilege to offer him all enjoyments to which an emperor or a king is entitled and accustomed! The system of offering unmarried girls to the temple for the service of the deity might have originated this way. And, this is not peculiar to India alone. There is evidence to prove that in ancient Babylonia,

Cyprus, Greece, Mesapotamia, Egypt, Syria and Arabia, as also in the South East Asian countries such a system has existed.

This system was opposed by the brahmanas. However, due to the pressure of the kings and noblemen, it came to stay.

The girls chosen to become devadasis would be married to the deity in the temple in a ceremonial way. Their main duties consisted of cleaning the temple, fanning the image, carrying lights, singing and dancing before the deity and the devotees and so on.

The system might have started some time during the 3rd cent. A.D. It soon degenerated into prostitution, thanks to the notorious human weaknesses. The practice of the kings and the noblemen of entertaining their important guests with music and dancing by the slave girls and maids of their harem might have been extended to the devadasis also, so much so, that it drove them to prostitution in course of time.

But for some pockets in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, the system has almost disappeared.

Introduction	Symbology	Construction	Essential Parts	Iconography	Religious Rites & Ceremonies
Brief History	Devotees	Priest	Art & Crafts	Epilogue

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