Devadasi, raja dasi or kutcheri dasi devadasis have acquired a variety of definitions and roles over the\n\nyears. Women of Pride studies, in depth, the devadasi tradition and its transformation into a living cultural\n\nphenomenon in the context of Hindu tradition. The book brings into focus the activities and identities of the\n\ndevadasis and examines the functions and forms of the devadasi tradition.\n\nThe changing face of the tradition has been authenticated and given a voice by the author by featuring some\n\nof the most prominent devadasis of our times. The book also examines the devadasi reform movement in a\n\npolitical, religious, and social context.