HYDERABAD: During the Bonalu festival in the Telangana districts, Jogini, Mathangi, and Basavi are prominent. Devotees seek blessings from them for creativity and success. In the Bonalu season, they perform traditional dance and musicals while devotees offer prayers. They are portrayed as mother goddess. Joginis, devoted or wedded to the divine, are revered as goddesses during the Bonalu festival. However, outside of these sacred celebrations, they encounter numerous challenges in their lives.
Challenges and lifestyle
“Even after multiple government orders, there is still a devadasi system going on. Near Balkamapet’s Yellamma temple, the Rangam is still performed. If city people still believe in such superstitions and cultures why wouldn’t people from small villages believe?” says Hajamma, an activist and former Jogini, hailing from Utkoor. Once a Jogini, she was rescued by an NGO, and with their help, she got married. Now associated with Operation Mercy India Foundation she strives to rescue and counsel the affected ones. “Joginis don’t qualify for pension as they are not considered either a widow or a single woman, how are they supposed to live in old age? Lot of self-respect is at stake, they face a lot of insults and during the delivery time, they need a husband to take care of them. If it gets serious, would God come down?’’ she says.
Talking about the education for their kids, she says “Earlier schools wouldn’t admit the kids without writing their father’s name. After a lot of struggle, now not only for Joginis, but for everyone they can admit the kids into school with their mother’s name on. Children need reservation and health security.” She goes on to say how she wishes to have a commission for Joginis alone, “Now people do help out personally, they identify a few groups and teach them livelihood skills like stitching, but it might help only a few members.
As I said, Joginis do not come under any section neither single nor widow, if kids are suffering, child welfare will be looked after, if SC is affected, SC corporation will take care of it, there is no system for Jogini, there is no commission, budget or a wing.” Focusing on the health risks, she mentions, “Health is at stake of course, there is no proper food and moreover health conditions like HIV, cancer, problems related to the uterus are very common. It is hard enough to fetch money for livelihood, to think about the treatment is a far-fetched idea, when a Jogini performs in Jathara, she is tied to a stick, covered with leaves, devotees then come and pay the homage. She is on the stick for hours and gets paid like `200, but when an elephant is acquired from mantralayam, it is paid Rs 50,000, how is it even fair?”
Hajamma, after collaborating with OMIF, could stop 18 cases of Jogini offerings in 2022 and 2 cases in 2023. “OMIF has rescued more than 1000 children from such offerings and child marriages, they have provided education to them, few of them have now grown up and are married happily, they are in safe zone now. Even during the Covid-19 times, they have helped distribute groceries,” concludes Hajamma.