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Glite Dictionary
devadasi

devadasi

9.9
A woman in South India who serves a temple by dancing and taking part in religious rituals
  • noun
  • /ˌdɛvəˈdɑːsi/
  • Indian
translation icon : devadasi
  • The role of a devadasi often included performing rituals and dances for the temple deities.

Examples

  • The devadasi performed beautifully at the temple festival.

  • She learned about the life of a devadasi while studying Indian classical dance.

  • The tradition of the devadasi has a long history in South Indian temples.

  • She learned about the life of a devadasi while studying Indian classical dance.

  • In ancient times, a devadasi held a revered position in society.

  • The role of a devadasi often included performing rituals and dances for the temple deities.

  • The tradition of the devadasi has a long history in South Indian temples.

Surface Forms

devadasi singular
devadasis plural

Etymology

Devadasi comes from old Indian words deva meaning 'god' and dasi meaning 'female servant'. That literally means 'servant of god', so a devadasi was a woman given to the temple to perform dances and rituals, and the word today refers to a woman dedicated to temple service.