Indian woman playing clarinet-like instrument (shehnai), traditional purple and orange dress (saree)

The Shehnai is a double-reed wind instrument with a widening tube towards the lower end. There are eight or nine holes, the upper seven for playing, and the lower ones for tuning. The Shehnai is considered auspicious and is played on all festive occasions in India. Indian classical music is intimately associated with temple rituals. Devdasis (women dedicated to the temples) were the developers and the keepers of Indian classical music who performed in temples during religious celebrations. They could read and write; they knew poetry; they taught yoga to the community, and unlike other women, they could buy and sell property.