A study conducted by the National Commission for Women (NCW) points out: while there are more than 10,000 devadasis in Maharashtra and Karnataka, less than 10 per cent of the women who are followers of Yellamma enter into sex work. Most remain in religious work and often live through their life with one man, though without a legally recognised marriage.

Yet, the degeneration of the system over the years has resulted in many devadasis functioning as prostitutes at the behest of the priests. While the profession is not as "lucrative" as it is believed to be for the sex workers, the mainstream has developed an economy of more than Rs. 200 crores around these women, says the NCW study.  This excludes the money they cough up for donations, be it for election campaigns or festivals, religious or otherwise ... (Source: The Hindustan Times, 21 May, 1999)