Abstract: Religion has always dominated Indian soul. Hindu scriptures have given immense significance to the notion of ‘Dāna’ which was made over to earn religious merit and deliverance. Jainism and Buddhism also consider Dāna as the most effective means of securing merit and attaining liberation. Thousands of royalty, laity and ecclesiastics have recorded their donations in the inscriptions spanning over centuries. Courtesans as a class are not an exception to it. The courtesans have engraved their devotion and donations for the religions and deities of their choice in the inscriptions. This paper will analyze the donations made by courtesans for the propagation of the religions that they adhered to.
Keywords: Courtesans, Ancient India, Dāna, Inscriptions.
Title: Expressions of Faith: Courtesans as Gleaned through Ancient Indian Donative Inscriptions
Author: Dr. Rupali Mokashi
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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