Sasimani Debi #

Sasimani Debi (Shashimani Devi) an Indian Devadasi, Mahari ritual performer, dancer, singer.

She was one of the last active Maharis or Devadasis of the Jagannath Temple and was regarded as the symbolic “human consort” of Lord Jagannath.

She was ceremonially dedicated to Lord Jagannath as a child and was considered the “living wife” of the deity from the age of 12.

Temple records mention that she was among about 25 women once assigned to serve Lord Jagannath under the Mahari tradition.

In her younger years, she performed ritual devotional dances, while in later years she mainly sang and recited the Geeta Govinda during temple rituals.

She was among the final practitioners of the Mahari or Devadasi tradition in Odisha.

After her death in 2015, Parasmani Debi remained among the final surviving Maharis until her death in 2021, though she was no longer actively performing temple rituals.
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