Despite being declared an illegal practice, the Devadasi tradition (of female artists dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or temple) remains active in certain states of India. This lecture proposes to explore the inescapable dependency of the Devadasis on the temple priests, patrons or the influential members of their own community. It also attempts to focus on this victimological perspective in the existing legislations, policies and literary representations with reference to the Nachni tradition prevalent in three major states of Eastern India.
Nachnis of Purulia district in West Bengal and some other regions of Jharkhand and Odisha are traditional Dalit performers, often compared to Devadasis due to their long, semi-religious devotion to art. Despite being committed rural artistes, Nachnis are often humiliated as social outcasts, similar to the historical treatment of courtesans, although their plight is more marginalized in the contemporary contexts.