History of Prostitution in India Prostitution is said to be one of the oldest profession in the world.

. In India, the practice of prostitution has been prevalent since time immemorial. Vedic texts give accounts of a mythic empire builder, Bharata and prove that the people were acquainted with prostitution through references to loose women, female vagabonds, and sexually active unmarried girls. The vedic literature serves as a ware house of information on prostitutes and prostitution. For instance, Rig Veda mentions both prostitutes and illegitimate children. Vagabond priests and their female companion have been described in atharvana veda as sacred prostitutes. Who can forget the Hindu rituals of love in Vatsyayanas Kama Sutra. The vedic words sadbarani refers to a women who offers sex for payment. In ancient India, there was a practice of having Nagarvadhus, "brides of the town"(grooms) who were actually prostitutes. Famous examples include Amrapali, state courtesan and Buddhist disciple, described in Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu by Acharya Chatursen and Vasantasena, a character in the classic Sanskrit story of Mricchakatika, written in the 2nd century BC by Sudraka. In Mauryan Dynasty, Kautilya (Chanakya) the renown author of arthasasthra wanted prostitution to be utilized by public exchequer. The Mughal Empire (1526 -1857) also witnessed prostitution the word 'mujra ' became common during this era. King Jahangir's harem had 6,000 mistresses which denoted authority, wealth and power. Even during the British era prostitution flourished the famous Kamathipura, a red light area in Bombay, was built during this era for the refreshment of British troops and which was later taken over by Indian sex workers. Prostitutes in different parts of India are known by different names Devadasi, Devadiyal, Kannerikam, Basivi, Kanjaris, Jaunsar Bawars, Harbedas, Bohiokojeers etc. Originally, devdasis were celibate dancing girls used in temple ceremonies and they entertained members of the ruling class. But

sometime around the 6th Century, the practice of "dedicating" girls to Hindu gods became prevalent in a practice that developed into ritualized prostitution. Devdasis literally means God's (Dev) female servant (Dasi), where according to the ancient Indian practice, young pre-pubertal girls are 'married off and given away' in matrimony to God or Local religious deity of the temple.1 The marriage usually occurs before the girl reaches puberty and requires the girl to become a prostitute for upper-caste community members. Such girls are known as jogini '. They are forbidden to enter into a real marriage. The system of devdasis started only after the fall of Buddhism and records about them start appearing around 1000 A.D. [Bharatiya Sanskruti Kosh, IV, 448]. It is viewed that the devdasis are the Buddhist nuns who were degraded to the level of prostitutes after their temples were taken over by Brahmins during the times of their resurgence after the fall of Buddhism.

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