Socio-economic Condition and Rehabilitation of Joginis in Telangana State

This article is an attempt to study the factors contributing to the prevalence of Jogini system in Telangana and looks at its day today practice. In contrast to the Devadasi attached to the temple, Joginis from the lower caste especially from the downtrodden and marginalized communities who are more vulnerable neither have any rights in the temple nor they have any skills to make livelihood but are still involved in a begging profession. An attempt is made here to analyse the socio-economic conditions and distribution of government schemes, their implementation and utilization as a part of the rehabilitation programmes to Joginis at micro-level. It also explores the impact of the rehabilitation programmes on the victims of the Jogini system as such these programmes are really transforming their livelihood pattern into better form or maintaining the same vulnerability as before.