Dedication of Devadasi to be unlawful and void

General19885 sections

Statutory text

(1) The dedication of a woman as Devadasi, whether before or after the commencement of this 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 marriage.
(2) Any custom or usage, prevailing in any community such as the Bogam, Kalavanthula, Sani, Nagavasulu, Devadasi, Kurmapulu, Basavi, Jogini and Parvathi and the like, that a woman of that community who gives or takes part in any melam (nautch), dancing or music performance in the coda of any procession or otherwise is hereby regarded as having adopted a life of prostitution and become incapable of entering into a valid marriage, and the performance of any ceremony or act in accordance with any such custom or usage, whether before or after the commencement of this Act and whether the woman concerned has consented to such performance or not, are hereby declared unlawful and void.

Study data processing for this section.

PDF: pending for this language.