Sasimani Debi (alternatively spelled ''Sashimani, Shashimani, Devi''), was the last living Mahari or

Devdasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

of Jagannath temple and “human consort” of the Lord

Jagannath Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, '' Purushot ...

. Sashimani came from a poor family and was initiated into service at the temple when she was a small girl. At the age of 12, she was considered a “living wife” of Lord Jagannath, the god who is worshiped at the

Jagannath temple The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism. It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India. As per temple records, King Indradyumna of Avanti (reg ...

, and she was not expected to marry anyone in her entire lifespan. According to temple records, she was one of about 25 women assigned to care for Jagannath and was the last among them who was alive.

Early life

At the age of 12, Sashimani was inducted into Devadasi Seva after being ceremonially married to Lord Jagannath at the age of 7 or 8. As a part of her duties, she used to dance before the Lord during Badasinghara Besha and festivals related to the Jagannath temple including Chandan Jatra. As Sashimani grew old, her services were confined to reciting

Gitagovinda The ''Gita Govinda'' (; IAST: ''gītagovindam'') is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna, Radha and ''gopis'' (female cow herders) of Vrindavan. The ''Gita Govinda'' is organiz ...

in the traditional

Odissi music Odissi music (, ) is a genre of Indian classical music, classical music originating from the eastern state of Odisha. Rooted in the ancient ritual music tradition dedicated to the deity Jagannatha, Odissi music has a rich history spanning over ...

manner.

Devadasi culture in Odisha

The Orissa Gazette of 1956 mentions some occasions where the devadasis danced. They had two daily rituals. The Bahar Gaaunis would dance at the ''Sakaala Dhupa''. Lord Jagannath, after breakfast, would give Darshan to the bhaktas (the devotees). In the Main hall, a devadasi accompanied by musicians and the Rajguru, the court guru, would dance, standing near the

Garuda Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the D ...

sthambha (pillar).This dance could be watched by the audience. They would perform only pure dance here. The Bhitar Gaunis would sing at the ''Badasinghara'', the main ceremony for ornamenting and dressing the God. Lord Jagannath, at bedtime, would be first served by male Sebaets- they would fan Him and decorate Him with flowers.

Death

At the age of 92 she died at Dolamandapa sahi,

Puri Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...

, and was cremated at Swargadwar in Puri, where her foster son Somanath Panda lit the funeral pyre brought from the kitchen of Jagannath temple.

References

External links

Sashimani Devi, temple dancer - obituary
{{Authority control Articles created or expanded during Women's History Month (India) - 2015 People from Odisha Jagannath 2015 deaths