No Devadasis in God’s Own Country

Introduction

    The Devadasi system, which flourished in Tamil Nadu and Orissa, has no substantial evidence of ever existing in Kerala. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar emphasizes that there are no indigenous families or records claiming such a tradition in Kerala’s temples. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai speculated that women might have been employed in Kerala’s temples as Devadasis, basing his arguments on inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu temples such as Suchindram, Cholapuram, and Kanchipuram. Yet, as Panikkar notes, these claims remain conjectural and are strongly challenged by other historians who argue that the absence of any lingering Devadasi families in Kerala undermines such theories (Pillai 1978: 278–281).



Koothachi and the Artistic Communities

    Confusion often arises due to the term koothachi, mistakenly equated with Devadasi. In Kerala, koothachi referred to women performers of the Chakyar1 community, whose art—Koothu—was a respected theatrical tradition. Numerous temple-linked communities, including Marars, Poduvals, Nambiars, Nangyars, and Warriers, played integral roles in music, dance, garland-making, and ritual services. Their contributions were understood as acts of divine service, distinct from the sensual associations of the Devadasi institution.

Temple Service as Collective Duty

    Kerala’s temple culture thrived on communal service rather than individual dedication. Unlike in the Devadasi tradition, where a woman was symbolically married to the deity as a nitya sumangali (eternal bride), Kerala’s practices distributed ritual responsibilities across castes and families. For instance, both Warriers and Warasyars were jointly responsible for preparing garlands for temple deities. This collective participation reinforced social cohesion, unlike the personal, erotic dedication central to the Devadasi system.



Chakyars, Nangyars, and Ritual Theatre

    The artistic center of Kerala’s temples was sustained by the Chakyars and Nangyars, who preserved Koothu and Koodiyattam2. These forms, referenced in the Silappatikaram, fused dance, music, and scholarship into ritual theatre. Performers were integrated into family and community life, respected as cultural custodians rather than marginalized figures. This vibrant performance culture also nurtured the growth of Kerala’s Manipravala literature, a synthesis of Dravidian and Aryan legacies.


Manipravala Literature and Misinterpretations

    Some scholars interpret Manipravala works of the 12th–14th centuries, such as Unniyadi Charitam, Unnichirutevi Charitam, Unnili Sandesam, and Chandrotsavam, as evidence of Devadasis in Kerala. Yet these poems celebrate thevichis—heroines admired for beauty and skill in dance—rather than consecrated Devadasis. Women in these texts, often from the Nangyar community, lived as respected wives and mothers while serving as performers. Their position sharply contrasts with the institutionalized Devadasis elsewhere in India (Balakrishnan 1983: 318).


Mohiniattam and External Influences

    Kerala’s women’s dance, Mohiniattam, evolved organically from the performances of Nangyars but later absorbed external influences. During Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s reign, devadasi dancers from Tanjore were brought to his court, alongside the Tanjore Quartet (Vadivelu and his brothers). They reshaped Mohiniattam with Bharatanatyam techniques and Carnatic musical structures, diluting its original sopanasangeetam foundation. Scholars debate whether this transition enriched or eroded the indigenous style (Logan 1887: 135).


Matrilineal Customs and Social Order

    Kerala’s matrilineal inheritance system, especially among Nairs, offered a cultural environment fundamentally incompatible with the Devadasi institution. Property passed through women, and marriage customs like sambandham emphasized social flexibility. Nair women could enter conjugal relations with Namboothiri Brahmins without becoming temple-bound dependents. As Panikkar highlights, this matrilineal framework safeguarded women’s dignity and prevented the institutionalized temple prostitution central to the Devadasi system.


Kerala’s Distinctive Cultural Identity

    Though devadasi performers occasionally entered Kerala through border regions and royal patronage, the institution never took root in the state’s cultural soil. Instead, Kerala nurtured a heritage grounded in communal temple service, matrilineal social customs, and ritual theatre. Dances such as Nangyar Koothu and Mohiniattam thus represent not remnants of the Devadasi system but unique expressions of Kerala’s social ethos, where women were respected as artists, family members, and cultural carriers.


References

1. Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai, Studies in Kerala History, pp. 278–281.

2. P.K. Balakrishnan, The Caste System and Kerala History, p. 318.

3. W. Logan, Malabar, Vol. I, p. 135.

4. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, “Devadasi System Unknown to Kerala,” Sangeet Natak, No. 97, July–September 1990.


1, Chakyar (also spelled Cakyar, Chakkiar, Chakiar, etc.) is a priestly caste within the Ambalavasi community of Hindus in the Kerala state.

2.Koodiyattam is the world's most ancient surviving Sanskrit theatre tradition, originating in Kerala, India, and recognized by UNESCO.  

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