திருவிதாங்கூர் மன்னராட்சி காலமும் பெண்களும் / The Women in the Time of Travancore Monarchy

In Travancore, in southwestern India, women suffered greatly during the reign of the kings.  The lower castes were restricted from dressing like the upper castes in dress.  Lower caste people were allowed to dress only from the waist to the buttocks.  Women without tops were greatly concerned. They wear jewelry made of conch, stone, and rock because they refuse to wear jewelry made of gold or silver.  A variety of rituals were observed among the people so that women were vulnerable.  The ritual of talikattu kalyanam was performed among Nair women.  It was conducted before women attain maturity. Thus the condition of Nair women was deplorable. Similarly, the ritual of relation made the lives of women miserable, the lives of women suffered by many husbands and the future of the children changed miserably. Forced to do such practices, women become Devadasis. In the early days, Devadasis were associated with temples to create music and dance to raise funds for the temples. It is also the fact many Kings had donated their daughters to temples because they were revered.  Such honorable work turned out to be a disgrace over time and these women fall as victims to the lust of community leaders and the rich.