by Police - Bureau of Police Research and Development
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The Indian <strong>Police</strong> Journalpretty maids were enjoyed <strong>by</strong> the King for a month <strong>and</strong> then sent awayback. To quote Bhattacharjee: “When such women came out <strong>of</strong> thepalace, one obvious solution for their future life was prostitution. Ofcourse, courtiers would sometimes marry some <strong>of</strong> them, but the resthad few alternative recourses open to them.”Kautilya(1) either they were born as prostitute, or(2) Ganika’s daughters, or(3) they were purchased, or(4) captured in war, or(5) they were women, who had been punished for adultery. 102One other important source <strong>of</strong> prostituting women was due to undersome blind faith for procuring women for temple prostitution, <strong>by</strong>abhorrent manner <strong>of</strong> buying women <strong>and</strong> girls <strong>and</strong> donating them tothe temples on the service <strong>of</strong> gods <strong>and</strong> goddesses, better known asDevadasis. General belief in donors was that they would grow rich inthis life <strong>and</strong> would live in heaven for a long time. It was believed thathe who gave a host <strong>of</strong> prostitutes to the sun god would go to the region<strong>of</strong> the sun after death. 103 But the temple dancers did not appear beforethe last few centuries B.C. <strong>and</strong> are mentioned in the early centuries A.D.in some regions <strong>of</strong> ancient India, probably long after the invasion <strong>of</strong>Alex<strong>and</strong>er <strong>and</strong> the Devadasi in temples did materialize only after theKautilya does not mentionpr<strong>of</strong>essional dancers with the temple prostitution. Such institutionsarose largely shortly before or after the early centuries <strong>of</strong> A.D. KalidasA.D., functioning asan established tradition. 104Variations in the Status <strong>and</strong> FunctionsAbove narration depicts numerous synonyms <strong>and</strong> reveals widespreadprevalence <strong>of</strong> the institution <strong>of</strong> prostitution throughout the ages inAncient India. Normally, rupajiva was not accomplished in different64 arts. Her only charm <strong>and</strong> fame was as the very name denotesher exquisite beauty <strong>and</strong> attractive charms. She paid two days <strong>of</strong>her income <strong>of</strong> the month to the State. Kautilya generally used word'rupajiva' for the designation <strong>of</strong> prostitution <strong>of</strong> prostitutes, who wereJanuary - March, 2013195
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