Maharis of Jagannath Temple: From Sacred Tradition to Stigma | Prof. Marglin | Dr Shriya Patnaik

Unveiling the power of Shakti | Bhakti | Prakriti | Shringar – Shakti Kumbh, 2026 in Odisha The scholars uncover how the Maharis of the Jagannath Temple — once revered as Chalanti Devi (“living goddesses”) — were reclassified as “prostitutes” under colonial law, leading to the extinction of a centuries-old ritual tradition. Through decades of fieldwork, they preserved the testimonies of the last surviving Maharis, Sashimani and Parasmani, before the tradition disappeared. Discover the forgotten Tantric ritual of Raja Upacharo, and why it got abolished in 1955. The discussion reveals how the British colonial gaze and internalised colonial reform reshaped sacred female ritual service into the narrative of “religious prostitution.” Essential viewing for those interested in Indian temple traditions, women’s history, ritual culture, and the continuing impact of colonial frameworks on indigenous spiritual practices. Key Points: * The Raja Upacharo ritual and its role in transforming Prasad into Mahaprasad * How British Puritanism rebranded sacred ritual as prostitution * Last of the Maharis speak in their own words * Erasure of the only female sevak category from Jagannath Temple * The colonial legislation that killed a tradition About the Speakers: Frédérique Apffel-Marglin is a French-American anthropologist and Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Smith College. Trained in Odissi dance, widely known for her groundbreaking research on the Devadasi traditions of Odisha, she conducted extensive fieldwork. She later documented it in her book 'Wives of the God-King'. She has authored and edited numerous influential works. Shriya Patnaik is a researcher and writer whose work focuses on Odisha’s cultural history, women’s issues, minority rights, and indigenous traditions. Her research engages with questions of gender, ritual culture, social justice, and the interpretation of regional traditions. Topics Covered: 00:00 End of a Millenarian Tradition: "I Mourne its Passing" 01:24 Introduction: Devadasis in Sacred Art, Mahari Sculptures at Konark 07:15 'Raja Upacharo': Mahari-Ritual Dance for the Protection of the Realm 10:20 Shakta Tantra: The Five Ms in Vegetarian Form and the Mahaprasad 13:29 Ostracising ‘Shakti Uchhishta’: The End of the ‘Chalanti Devi’ Ritual Tradition 16:35 Evening Singing Rituals and the Surviving Mahari Temple Tradition 19:39 Documentary on Maharis: K C Rajguru’s Testimonial — A Lamentation 24:14 The Gotipua Origins of Odissi: From Sacred Ritual to Stage Art 26:53 Colonial Criminalisation of Devadasis and Their Recasting as “Religious Prostitutes” 30:00 Regional Variants: Maharis, Jogatis, Theravadiyas, Natis, and Matangis Beyond Domestic Confinement 32:45 Testimonies of the Last Surviving Maharis, Parasmani and Sashimani: Purity Codes and Excommunication 37:23 Mahari Resistance Through Songs of Defiance and Satirical Performances in the Mathas 41:49 Cultural Loss and a Caution Against Eurocentric Narratives 47:05 The British Eurocentric Gaze and the Label of “Sacred Prostitution”: The Reason for the Abolition #MaharisOfJagannath #DevdasiTradition #JagannathTemple #SacredFeminine #ColonialHistory #OdissiDance #ShaktaTantra #ReclaimingHistory #IndianTemples #WomenInTemples #TantricRitual #DecoloniseHistory #ChalantiDevi #IndianKnowledgeSystems Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nhAUpe7aBm1rFCBgoWWcA/join Join our YouTube channel to get updated on new video releases: SangamTalks : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalks SangamTalks Hindi : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksHindi SangamTalks Business : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamBusiness SangamTalks Punjabi : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksPunjabi SangamTalks Tamil : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksTamiz SangamTalks Malayalam : https://www.youtube.com/@sangamtalksmalayalam SangamTalks Bangla : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksBangla SangamTalks Marathi : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksMarathi SangamTalks Kannada : https://www.youtube.com/@sangamTalkskannada SangamTalks Bhojpuri : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksBhojpuri SangamTalks Religion : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksReligion SangamTalks History : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksHistory SangamTalks IKS : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksIKS SangamTalks Media : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksClips SangamTalks Shorts : https://www.youtube.com/@SangamTalksShorts For updates, you may follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sangamtalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sangamtalks/ Telegram: https://t.me/sangamtalks Twitter /X : https://twitter.com/sangamtalks WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va95hH77z4kb3h4JaD1s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sangamtalks Website: https://www.sangamtalks.org Donate: https://www.sangamtalks.org/donate