On Rangapanchami, which usually occurs in March just after Holi, about 15 lakh pilgrims flock to Kareela for an annual fair that has mythical origins. Almost as huge as the famous Kumbh Mela, it is held at the local Janaki temple, dedicated to Sita. Located in Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh, this is the place where Sita is believed to have spent her last days on Earth after Rama renounced her as his wife in the Ramayana . She is said to have lived in the forest, in the Valmiki cave, where she gave birth to twins Luv and Kush.
Women belonging to the Bedia community take centre stage at this event. In a practice sanctioned by the community, many of its women depend on sex work for a living. During the Kareela dham mela, they perform their traditional dance called Rai at the temple. Pilgrims arrive in droves from the nearby States of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to watch them dance. The cost of hiring the dancers is usually met through offerings made by pilgrims as thanksgiving for prayers fulfilled.
The Bedia dancers are believed to be incarnations of apsaras (celestial nymphs), and many of them served as devadasis (temple dancers) in the past. Among Bedias, the eldest daughter typically remains single and takes up sex work to sustain her family.
Rajeev Tyagi is a Delhi-based photojournalist