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

The Tamil Nadu Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act, 1947 Act 31 of 1947 Keyword(s): Dedication, Devadasi, Woman DISCLAIMER: This document is being furnished to you for your information by PRS Legislative Research (PRS). The contents of this document have been obtained from sources PRS believes to be reliable. These contents have not been independently verified, and PRS makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness. In some cases the Principal Act and/or Amendment Act may not be available. Principal Acts may or may not include subsequent amendments. For authoritative text, please contact the relevant state department concerned or refer to the latest government publication or the gazette notification. Any person using this material should take their own professional and legal advice before acting on any information contained in this document. PRS or any persons connected with it do not accept any liability arising from the use of this document. PRS or any persons connected with it shall not be in any way responsible for any loss, damage, or distress to any person on account of any action taken or not taken on the basis of this document. I ' P I[TAMlIi NABU ] Am No. XXXI OF 1947.a i 11 / 8 (Received the assent of the Governor-General on the I I i 17th Janttary 1948 ; &st published in the Fort St. George Gazette on the 27th Januury 1948.) I I i An Act to prevent the dedication of women as devadasis in the 3[State or Tamil Nadu]. W~ana.4~th e 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~wevearn cient 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 t_h e 14th January t I 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' ; I (b) devadasi " means any woman so dedica- " ted ; (c) " woman means a female of any age. " 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 I to have become incapable of entering into a valid . 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 1951. entitled under that section. - 1T his 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, sation 44-A of the Madras Hindu Jkligious 1926" by section 4 of, and the Third Schedule Repealing and Amending Act, 1967 (Tarnil ~NaduH indu Religious and Charitable (Tanlil Nadu Act 22 of 1959), section 40. %. (2) Any custom or usage prevailing in any Hindu community such as the Bogum, Kalavanthula, Sani, Nagavasulu, Devadasi and Kurmapulu, that a womau. of that com~nunityw ho gives or Y es part in 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~din 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. ~aliesp :r~.L in, or alxts tlic per- f<)m~ ance 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~edt he words "or in any marriage procesqion or other Proceszion takon out public street," ;111dt he 1:xplni1atiOIl werc Onlittc~b y section 4 of, and the Second Schedulc to, the Tamil Nadul (Added Tcrri- torim) Extension of 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. 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. Cognizance 5. No Court inferior to that of a Presidency md trial of Magistrate* or a Magistrate of the First Class* shall offences. 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~M agispate shall bo construed as a rcforanct to a Metro- p'~11tanM ag~strate.