Maya

A Gender and Sexuality Magazine

Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Issues
    • Volume 1: Issue 1
    • Volume 1: Issue 2
    • Volume 1: Issue 3
  • Categories
    • Opinion
    • Creative
  • Culture
  • Through the Lenses
  • Submissions
Menu

Koovagam Festival: Celebration by the Hijra Community

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Editorial Team

Every year on spring, thousands of hijras from across the country gather in a celebration in Koovagam. It is one of the largest celebration of the hijra community held in Koovagam,a small hamlet located 30 kilometres away from the Villupuram disctrict in Tamilnadu. The ceremony takes place on a full moon day in Chittirai (the first month of Tamil calendar). What a sight it was to see thousands of them gather around lightening the whole place with joy, welcoming whoever wants to watch their ceremony with opened arms.

The first day is the wedding ceremony held in honor of the Hindu deity, Lord Aravan. Aravan the son of Pandava Arjun sacrificed himself for the victory of the Pandava brothers in Kurukshetra war. He wished to marry a woman before he dies so Lord Krishna transformed himself into a woman called Mohini. The next day,Mohini mourned for the death of him according to epic Mahabharata. The hijras dress as brides and tie ‘thaali’, a sacred thread signifying marriage around their neck.  Some even pierce themselves to show their devotion to Lord Aravan. Happiness lightened up the place as the marriage celebration began. Imagine looking at thousands of brides groomed posing to cameras, giving their best smiles and the sound of giggles and laughter echoing in the whole place.

The next day is the darkest day one could ever see. It is the removal of ‘thali’ ritual. All the brides who were dancing and laughing turned  widows overnight.  The widows mourn the death of Lord Aravan. They grieve, hugging all their friends pouring out all the sorrows . They break all their bangles and beat their chest and sing “Oppari”- a mourning song women sing for deaths. The sight of seeing them crying out their pain aloud moves everyone to tears.  Though it is just a regular ceremony that happens yearly, it is just heartbreaking to see them drowned in such despair after all the cheerful laughter I heard yesterday. My hands were shaky to capture these melancholy moments.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

This photo series has been contributed by Suriya P.K. and S. Shruthikka, students of School of Excellence in Law, Dr. Ambedhkar Law University, Chennai.

  • hijra
  • mythology
  • transgender
  • Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Top Posts

    • Koovagam Festival: Celebration by the Hijra Community

    Recent Posts

    • Foreword: Volume I: Issue 3
    • Invocation of the Sacred Goddess
    • The Crooked Tree

    Archives

    • July 2019
    • April 2019
    • September 2018
    • May 2018

    Tags

    #NALSA Agender animal rights art body hair Citizen Closet Creative Dating Equality femininity freedom Gender Hindu homophobia india Islam language Law lesbian LGBT love Marriage masculinity Mughal Rule mythology patriarchy poem Poems pride parade Queer rebel Rights same sex Section Section 377 sexual harassment Sexuality society story television transgender Transgender Rights women women like women

    Subscribe to Maya via Email

    Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 19 other subscribers

    Top Posts & Pages

    • Koovagam Festival: Celebration by the Hijra Community
      Koovagam Festival: Celebration by the Hijra Community

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Follow Us

    • Facebook

    Archives

    • July 2019
    • April 2019
    • September 2018
    • May 2018

    Contact Us

    • Email
      maya.queer.jgu@gmail.com

    Subscribe to Blog via Email

    Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 19 other subscribers

    Top Posts

    • Koovagam Festival: Celebration by the Hijra Community

    Recent Posts

    • Foreword: Volume I: Issue 3
    • Invocation of the Sacred Goddess
    • The Crooked Tree
    • The Toxic Binary
    • Paradise for Imperfect Individuals

    Archives

    • July 2019
    • April 2019
    • September 2018
    • May 2018

    Top Posts

    • Koovagam Festival: Celebration by the Hijra Community

    Latest

    • Foreword: Volume I: Issue 3
    • Invocation of the Sacred Goddess
    • The Crooked Tree
    • The Toxic Binary
    • Paradise for Imperfect Individuals

    Archives

    • July 2019
    • April 2019
    • September 2018
    • May 2018

    Subscribe to Maya via Email

    Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 19 other subscribers

    © 2019 Maya | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme