The Tamil Nadu Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act, 1947

 

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The Tamil Nadu Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act, 1947 
 

Act 31 of 1947 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Keyword(s): 
Dedication, Devadasi, Woman 
 



I I[TAMlIi NABU ] Am No. XXXI OF 1947.a ' P  
i 11 

8 
/ 

(Received the assent of the Governor-General on the I I 
17th Janttary 1948 ; &st published in the Fort S t .  
George Gazette on the 27th Januury 1948.) 

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I 
I 

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An Act to prevent the dedication of women as 
devadasis in the 3[State or Tamil Nadu]. 

W~ana.4~ the practice sthl prevails in certain parts 
of the 3[State of Tamil Nadu] of dedicating women 
as "devadasis " to Hindu deities, idols, objects of 
worship, temples and other religious institutions ; 

AND WHEREAS such practice, h~wever ancient and pure 
in its origin, leads many of the women bo dedicated 
to a life of prostitution; 

AND WHEREAS it is necessary to put an end to tho 
practice ; It is hereby enacted as follows :- 

I 1. (1) This Act may be called the '[Tamil Nadu] sllert titlr and 
I 

Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act, 1947- extent. 

ted for the word " Madras by 
Laws Order, 1969, as amended by 
Laws (Second Amendment) Order, 

and Reasons, see Fort St. George 
1947, Part IV-A, page 131. 

This Act was extended to the merged State of Pudukkottai by 
section 3 of, and the First Schedule to, the Tamil Nadu Merged 
States (Laws) Act, 1949 (Tamil Nadu Act XXXV of 1949). 

This Act was extended to the Kanyakumari district and the 
Shencottah taluk of the Tirunelveli district by section 3 of,and the 
Schedule to, the Tamil Nadu (Transferred Territory) Extansion 
of Laws Act, 1957 (Tam11 Nadu Act XXII of 1957). 

substituted for the &pression "Province 
1 Nadu Adaptation pf Laws OrQr, 1970, 

come into forco bn the 14th January 

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2. In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant 
in the subject or  context- 

(a) "dedication " means the performance of 
any ceremony, by whatever name called, by which 
a woman is dedicated to the service of a Hindu deity; 
idol, object of worship, temple or other religious insti- 
tution, and includes 'pottukattu ', 'gajyepuja', 'nzrrdri', 
and dancing by 'Rumbhaharathy' ; 

(b) " devadasi " means any woman so dedica- 
ted ; 

(c) " woman " means a female of any age. 
I I 

Dedieatien 3. (1) The dedication of awomtu.1 as a devadasi, 
. whether before or after the conlinencement of this 

ful. Act and whether she has consented to such dedication 
or not, is hereby declared unlawful and void ; and 
any woman so dedicated shall not thereby be deemed 
to have become incapable of entering into a valid 

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marriage . 
Nothing contained in this sub-section shall be 

deemed to affect the operation of 2[section 34 of the Madras 
Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments ~ c t  
Acb, 1951*] or the rights to which a devadasi is of 
entitled under that section. 1951. 

1 This expression was substituted for the expression "State of 
Madras" by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws Order, 1969, as 
amended by the Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Laws (Second 
Amendment) Order, 1969. 

!,nd figures were substituted for the v ords, 
sat ion 44-A of the Madras Hindu Jkligious 

1926" by section 4 of, and the Third Schedule 
Repealing and Amending Act, 1967 (Tarnil 

~ N a d u  Hindu Religious and Charitable 
(Tanlil Nadu Act 22 of 1959), section 40. 

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(2) Any custom or usage prevailing in any 
Hindu community such a s  the Bogum, Kalavanthula, 
Sani, Nagavasulu, Devadasi and Kurmapulu, that a 
womau. of that com~nunity who gives or es part in Y any melam (nautch), dancing or music per ormance in 
the course of any procesaion or otherwise is thereby 
regarded as having adopted a life of prostitution and 
becomes incapable of entering into a valid marriage 
and the performance of any ceremony or act in 
accordance with any such custom or usage, whether 
beforz or after the commencement of this Act and 
whetlier the woman concerned has consented to such 
perforinance or not, are her&y declared unlawful 
and void. 

(3) Dancing by a woman, with or without 
kumblzaharatlty, in tlie precincts of any temple or other 
religious institution, or in :my procession of n Hindu 
deity, idol or object of warship ilistall~d in any such 
tcmple or instItut:on or at any l'es~ival or ceremony 
hcld in respect of suc11 n deity, idol or ol~jrct of 
worship, ] is hercby 
declared unlawful. 

4. (1 ) Ally pcrscn ilavlng :ittailled the age of pcaalty. 
sixteen y1:ut.s who after the cotnnlcncement of this 
Act perform\, permits. ~al ies p:r~.L in, or alxts tlic per- 
f < ) ~  mance of' an)* ceremony or act for dcdic;lting a 
woman ns a ticvadasi or any ccremony or act or the 
nature refcrrcd to in section 3, sub-sect'ion (2), shall 

1 So far 'IS IIIC added kl.i.itot ies arc concert~ed the words "or 
in any marriage procesqion or other Proceszion takon out 
public street," ;111d the 1:xplni1atiOIl werc Onlittc~ by section 4 
of,  and the Second Schedulc to, the Tamil Nadul (Added Tcrri- 
torim) Extension o f  Laws Act, 1962 (Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1962). 

125-14-64~ 



C 

11947 : T.N. Act XXXI '' ' . 

be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term 
which may extend to six months or with fine which 
may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both. 

Cognizance 
md trial of 
offences. 

Explanation.-The person referred to in this sec- 
tion shall include the woman in respect of whom 
such ceremony or act is performed. 

(2) Any person having attzined the age of six- 
teen years who dances in contravention of the pro- 
visions of section 3, sub-section (3), or who abets 
dancing in contravention of the said provisions, shall 
be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term 
which may extend to six months or with fine which 
may extend to  five hundred rupees, or with both. 

5. No Court inferior to that of a Presidency 
Magistrate* or a Magistrate of the First Class* shall 
inquire into or try any offence punishable under 
section 4. 

--- 
* According to clauses (a) and (c) of sub-section (3) of section 3 

of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 Central Act 2 of 1974). 
which came into force on the 1st April i974, any rcfermco to 
Magistrate of the first class shall be construed as a referona to a 
Judicial Magistrate of the first class and any reference to  a R@i-. 
d9n.c~ Magispate shall bo construed as a rcforanct to  a Metro- 
p'~11tan Mag~strate.