The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c17.s1.338

v2.c17.s1.338

At first sight the only objectionable feature of the ceremony appears to be the employment of a dancing-girl to take a part in a religious rite; but inasmuch as the girl so employed is not a public prostitute, but one of a body specially dedicated to the service of temple, and bound by solemn pledges to lead a life of celibacy and purity, the offensive character is entirely removed. There are two sets of women so employed; one is called Naṭī or dancing-girl, whose business is to dance and sing in the Dancing Hall; and the other Bhitargāonī or the singers in the sanctum. Both are selected at an early age and as soon as they attain the age of puberty, formally married to the divinity of the temple, to which they remain attached ever after. In rare cases grown-up women betake themselves to the service of the temple and a notable instance of it is offered by Mīrā Bāi, daughter of Sūrya Rāṇā of Jeypur, who devoted herself to the service of Rangchoḍjī⁸⁸. Avowedly under no circumstance is a public prostitute allowed to enter the temple enclosure and Dr. Hunter justly complains that such a distinction should be permitted in the house of the god of all classes and castes⁸⁹. It would not be fair, therefore, to draw inferences from the use of the English word 'dancing-girl' which the facts of the case do not justify. The so-called dancing-girls occupy, in fact, very much the same position which the Vestal virgins of the ancient Roman temples did and their character does not differ from that of their ancient European sisterhood. Bernier, by no means a fair critic, affords a notable proof of this fact. He says, ‘I have observed certain of these women, no less celebrated for their beauty than for their modest demeanour, not only reject with scorn splendid presents from different Mahomedans and Christians, also from Gentoo strangers, as if they were exclusively devoted to the Devtā, or the temple of the idol and its ministers, the Brahmans’⁹⁰. Great care is taken in the selection of the person who is to enact the part of the mother of the god. She is not taken promiscuously from the body of the dancing-girls, but a particular woman is especially selected and appointed to attend to this duty only. She belongs to the class Bhitargāoni, has rent free lands for this service and is understood to lead a chaste life. Occasionally she sings in the inner temple, but never with the crowd in the Dancing Hall. It is undeniable that neither this selected one, nor the bulk of the two classes invariably lead an irreproachable life. Nature prevails over human institutions and frailty is, for ought we know, as common among them as was the case among the Vestal virgins; but certainly not more so than what obtains among actresses and ballet [138] girls in modern Europe. Anyhow, the theory is that they ennoble themselves by renouncing the world and betaking themselves to the service of the temple; and, however fallen they may be in reality, their employment in the temple cannot be more objectionable on account of their private lives than that of priests equally frail.