India's Bedya girl's "coming of age ceremony" turns out to be a prostitute

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, India, has a beautiful name-"Pink City." This city, more than 200 kilometers away from the world-famous Taj Mahal, is a destination for many tourists. However, tourists who come here are sometimes surprised by an "alternative custom" in the area: the Beddian girls sitting on the roadside waiting for a high price.

Thirty miles west of the Taj Mahal in India, on both sides of the dusty Jaipur Highway, tourists passing by in tour buses saw a "scenery" rarely mentioned in travel books. There were a group of young girls sitting on both sides of the road. They seemed to be in their teens. When passing by, most of the men slowed down and looked at them carefully. As night fell, in front of the rising fire, a girl wearing a pink sari was particularly conspicuous. Her slightly childish face was covered with heavy makeup, as if she was going to participate in a grand event. However, the truth is far from that. 14-year-old Su Li is waiting for a generous buyer to sell her virginity for a good price.

There are 59 families living in the temporary shanty area where a 14-year-old Indian girl, Sulai, lives, all of whom are Bedia. "First Night" is a precious commodity, so middle-aged businessmen passing by here are willing to pay high prices for it. The normal charge is only one hundred rupees, but the virgin is awarded to the highest bidder, and the bidding price can exceed 20,000 rupees. If she is particularly beautiful, the people will hope to sell it for 40,000 rupees. Customers who can afford the high price can have the girl until they are tired of it-which can be hours, days or even weeks.

When he grew tired of her, the people would hold celebrations for it. Since it is considered unlucky to retain the money from selling the right to first night, the money will be used to hold luxurious parties, buy jewelry for her and her relatives, slaughter goats, drink and have fun, sing and dance, and make sacrifices to the gods.

Once a girl loses her virginity, she cannot get married. The choice had been made, and the entire community celebrated it-it was her wedding night. Su Li said she was happy to be a prostitute. "It was my choice," she said, but admitted to being "a little" scared. "I don't know what will happen in the future. I know other girls in this industry, but I never asked them."

She claimed it didn't matter what the man looked like. She said: "I will go with him who bids the highest." She lives next door to her house with four sisters, all of whom are prostitutes. She likes to wear jeans and tops with very little material and often giggles. One of her sisters boasted that because Su Li was so beautiful, they hoped to get 40,000 rupees. "Someone offered 25,000 rupees, but it's not enough."

Su Li chose a life where she would receive twenty to thirty customers every day until she was in her forties. Later, when she is regarded as aging and aging, she will have to rely on one of the children she may have given birth to during her sexual life to support her.

Her two sisters, Litu, 35, and Manju, 25, have built a stone house in their hometown, one of the few stone buildings in the village. They have paid the equivalent of 14,600 pounds for it and are proud of their success. Manju said: "We are very poor and we cannot eat enough. What you see now is the result of hard work." They support fifty family members-thirty-five children and fifteen adults.

Nita is currently only thirteen years old, but has already said that she will become a prostitute like her sisters. It was her own "choice," she chuckled, because,"then I wouldn't have to do housework."