No matter how much we try to shy away from it, India will still remain the land where Kamasutra was born. And also, we can stay in denial but Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world.

Did you know there are cities and villages in the country that earn solely from Prostitution? And not only that, it is also a long-lived tradition. Here are four places where prostitution continues to be the leading way to income.

The Bachara Tribe

Located in the west of Madhya Pradesh, Prostitution is pretty much a tradition here. The eldest daughter grows up to be a prostitute, and once she gets old, the younger one takes over. The only way women could get out of such lives was when a suitor would agree to pay her parents a hefty dowry. You can watch a famous documentary called Highway Courtesans by Mystelle Brabbee to know more about this tribe.

Nat Purwa, a small village in the Hardoi district in east Uttar Pradesh

This is an extremely poor village and most villagers belong to the Nat community. Editor of Manushi, Madhu Kishwar told Al Jazeera, “During the colonial period, the British outlawed their activities. They got beaten up, arrested, locked up and brutalisation continued. This dried up their traditional source of livelihood, and women had no choice. They ended up in prostitution – what [else] will they do?” 

One of the sex workers, Chandralekha said, “My grandma said: ‘The whole village is involved in prostitution. What difference does it make if you become one?’ My grandmother is the one who got me involved…I’d say a woman starts feeling bad since the beginning, but there’s a weakness. There’s a hungry stomach to feed and there is resignation.” Children in this village know only their first names, and most don’t even have first names—not surprising, considering Nat Purwa is known as “a village of bastards.”

The Devadasi System 

It initially began as a religious custom that soon transformed into exploitation. Girls who do not even hit puberty are married off to the local ‘God’. Such women would enjoy a high status in the society. They would marry kings and didn’t have to participate in daily household.

Even today, long after the tradition was abolished, the women are forced to turn to this life in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. They now are ‘married off’ to anyone who bids the highest on their virginity, and they are hence forced into living as prostitutes.

Wadia Village

Located in North of Gujrat, it is famous for prostitution. Here the birth of a girl is celebrated as she will now be the breadwinner of the family. Boys as young as 12 are trained to be pimps. Men from Ahmedabad, Pakistan, Rajasthan and even Mumbai come to Wadia to buy sex.

There have been attempts to try to make the lives of these women better by NGOs and the Government alike. Sadly, all in vain. The men in their lives are in full control of them. Even in the future, the chances to change things appear grim.