Two Devadasis from Chennai in India, 1920s

PD Photo: photograph of two Devadasis from Chennai in India, taken in 1920s

Devadasi, a word in many Indian languages, means ‘a woman who serves god’, and is a practitioner or follower of the Devadasi tradition, a Hindu religious tradition in which girls are married of to and dedicated to a deity - Deva (god) or Devi (goddess), or they are simply married of to a temple. These women learned and practiced Bharatanatyam, Odissi and other forms of classical Indian dances, and they enjoyed high social status. However, the Devadasi Tradition and practices were made illegal in all states/ regions of India in 1988.

However, Devadasis still exist in India, as shown in a 2004 report by the National Human Rights Commission of the Government of India that read, "After initiation as Devadasis, women migrate either to nearby towns or other far-off cities to practice prostitution". A study from 1990 recorded that 45.9% of Devadasis in a particular district were prostitutes, while most of the others relied on manual labour and agriculture for their income. The practice of dedicating Devadasis was declared illegal by the Government Karnataka in 1982 and by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in 1988. However, as of 2006 the practice was found to be still prevalent in at least 10 districts of northern Karnataka and 14 districts in Andhra Pradesh.

Devadasis are known by various other names, such as Jogini, and the Devadasi practice of religious prostitution is known as Basivi in Karnataka and Mathangi in Maharashtra. The tradition is also known as Venkatasani, Nailis, Muralis and Theradiyan.

Kazakhstan's equestrian tradition

PD Photo: Kazakh horseback riders in traditional dress demonstrate a kissing game, Kyz kuu (Chase the Girl), one of a number of traditional games played on horseback, taken on 13 September 2000 by SSGT Jeremy T. Lock, USAF. In the photo, the Kazakh woman is ‘winning’ by whipping the man.

As part of the Gala concert of CentrAsBat 00, Kazakh horse-riding performers demonstrate Kazakhstan's cultural tradition of the equestrian game called Kyz kuu (also known as Kyz kuumai, known outside Central Asia as ‘Girl Chasing’, ‘Catch the Girl’, ‘Chase the Girl’, or ‘Kissing Game’), a traditional sport among the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. CentrAsBat was formed on 15 December 1995 by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, under the aegis of the UN and NATO's Partnership for Peace program/ US Central Command (US CENTCOM).

In the game a man on horseback waits at a given point. When a young riding woman starts her horse galloping from a given distance behind him and passes him, he may start his horse galloping. They race towards a finish line ahead. If the man is able to catch up to the woman before the finish line, he is then rewarded with a kiss, which is a victory for him. If the man cannot catch up with her before the finish line, the woman rider turns around and chases the man back to the finish line. If she reaches the man, she may use her whip to beat him, which signifies a victory for her.

PD Photo: Kazakh bride in traditional Kazakh wedding dress on horseback (1911-1914), photo by Russian photographer Sergei Ivanovich Borisov (1860-1935). In the background, there is a yurt, a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed dwelling structure, a home, traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.