A report by Marion Mayer-Hohdahl

00.15.25

Pictures start

15.28

Once a year thousands of Hindus stream to Saudatti - a temple in southern India. They  have come here to express their devotion to the Goddess Yellamma - but Saudatti is no ordinary temple...for Yellamma is the Goddess of prostitution.

15.43

In this temple, prostitution becomes a religion. Young girls, many of them not yet 15, are consecrated to Yellamma. They become Devadasis - love servants of the goddess - and their lives will be dedicated to prostitution. Their families believe that this sacrifice will allow them to be born into a higher caste in the next life.

16.06

Before the long 5 kilometre walk to the temple, the devotees must cleanse themselves by washing in this pool.

16.20

Sanjay Vasantras Yadav

Our goddess gives us happiness. I'm not against the Devadasi system. If, for example you have a problem at home, like a quarrel between a married couple, you can go to the temple. After you've prayed to the goddess, our wishes are fulfilled. Our goddess helps us.

16.52

Devotees of the Yellamma goddess come from the lower castes of the Hindus. Some are gripped by religious fever. They dance until they drop.

17.03

Men are also followers of the temple. Many  put themselves into service as transvestites.

17.10

It's illegal to dedicate children to the goddess, but that's irrelevant because the government does nothing to prevent it. To become baptised as a Devadasi love-servant costs 52 US dollars, money which, according to one human rights organisation, flows straight into the pockets of the politicians. So the government turns a blind eye.

17.33

The girls are obliged to serve the priests in the temple - and that includes sexual services. According to one report, some priests have up to 40 girls at their service. It's a price the poorer families are prepared to pay for a better life in their next reincarnation.

17.53

Swapan Mukherjee is the leader of the Free the Children of India Organisation. He fights for the rights of all children, and particularly for the girls that become prostitutes. He estimates that 6,000 new girls are dedicated to the temple every year.

18.12

original sound

Swapan Mukherjee

human rights activist

Most of these girls are from poor families. Mostly. And this is a burden to them, the poor - it is a burden to the poor family, firstly. Secondly, another belief they do have - if they give their girl to the temple, then they will also get blessed by the God.

18.45

The Yellamma cult is hundreds of years old, and the belief has become deeply entrenched in the people. But it's more than that - for many families it's a matter of survival. Sons are important - they will care for their parents later in life - but daughters are a financial burden. After marriage, women belong to the family of the husband, but in order for the marriage to take place, the daughter must have a dowry. Even today, many girls are killed at birth because the parents know they won't be able to raise a dowry. Despite the fact that the practice of dowries is now illegal, and that even the Yellamma cult forbids it - despite this, the tradition continues. And so many parents sacrifice their daughter to the temple as an escape route from financial difficulties.

19.25

The ceremony in the temple is kept very secret. Entry to non-believers is strictly forbidden.

19.35

original sound

Swapan Mukherjee

human rights activist

When they're in the temple for devotion, the priests of the temples, they used to sexually harrass these girls. When they're enough satisfied of these girls, the girls are used by the Pandas. Pandas are those persons who help the devotees to reach to the gods, to offer their prayers. So these Panda again use those girls, and when these girls leave from those temples, the society never accepts them, and then they are sold out into the sex market.

20.26

The girls end up in the red-light districts of the big Indian cities - like Calcutta. Here, sex costs as much as a bottle of beer.

20.41

She says her family can't feed her. Sons are more important. Now she's scared about getting infected.

20.51

Her family threw her out, says this young girl.

20.59

She also came from a poor family. Her family couldn't afford a dowry. So, she's here.

21.10

The older prostitutes look after the young girls. They've formed a group which explains to them about their rights, safe sex and Aids. The figures from the United Nations Aids Organisation show that India has the highest HIV infection rate in the world. Between 4 and 5 million people are infected.

21.32

She was 13 years-old when she was forced to have sex. Then she became pregnant. Since then she's been in the sex industry. She wants to help other women to escape their fate.

21.44

With 48 percent of all Indians unable to read or write, explanations are difficult. Amongst women, the illiteracy rate is  even higher. Because of this, older prostitutes take to the streets to distribute condoms...these are quickly hidden.

22.01

Dr Smarajit Jana is well aware of the problems the Devadasis - the love servants - encounter when they leave the temples.

22.09

original

Smarajit Jana

doctor

The majority of them will not be recognised by even their close relatives. They will die silently. No one will actually bother for that, no one will actually enquire what has happened for those old sex-workers. That's the reality.

22.30

In these three streets alone, two and a half thousand prostitutes offer their services. Around twenty thousand men come here every day.

22.45

The women earn somewhere between 75 cents and 4 dollars a time, and this soon disappears - to pimps, madams or landlords.

23.00

In the back courtyards rooms are rented out by the hour.

23.06

This woman rents her own bed to an average of eight prostitutes a day.

23.12

Jaisoda Sen

My husband doesn't have any work. What should I do? For each girl I earn a maximum of 4 dollars - it depends on how long they use the room.

23.35

The young girls are in high demand, and as long as the Devadasi system remains in place, there will always be plenty of them on the streets. Girls who have never had any choice in their lives but to follow a path of religion, devotion...and prostitution.

ends

Report by: Marion Mayer-Hohdahl

Camera: Arun Kapoor

VT editor: Danny van Vuuren

Music:

Folk Music Nr. 9 - Shenai song 1

INDIA Chappell Recorded Music Library - 50 seconds