Hijra Essay

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In India the transgender group is commonly called Hijras. The hijra population is the most visible (male to female) population in India and other transgender identities are associated with the hijra identity. They have religious-cultural and rich historical background. The term hijra is derived from the Urdu word meaning ‘impotent ones’, ‘eunuchs’ or hermaphrodites where the irregularity of male genitalia defines the term. “Within the Indian context the term hijra is used for people who identify themselves as neither man nor woman (Nanda, 14). In India the transgender group comprises of Hijras, eunuchs, Kothis, Aravanis, Jogappas, Shiv-Shakthis etc. and they, as a group, have got a strong historical presence in our country in the Hindu mythology …show more content…

Every hijra will have a guru when they join the community. The hijra household is organized as a commune. The members contribute all part or a part of their earnings to the households. In return they get a shelter and a ‘family’ which shares their conditions and feelings. They carry on with their business- begging, performing or prostitution. Hijras are also divided into houses, ‘gharanas’. (They may be thought of as symbolic descent groups like clans whereas households are communal living groups). Each house within a region has a leader called Naik and it is the leader of the houses in a region who get together nationally from time to time to decide policies for the Hijras in India as a whole to celebrate some events of national significance to them such as the death anniversary of a famous hijra leader. The Naik is the head of the gharana who is the primary decision maker and policy maker of the hijra community. There are many gurus who have many chelas under them. This tree spreads and there is a web of chelas, nati chelas( grand daughters) under the same house. Within the Hijra jammat system, the guru is the guardian of her chela. Chelas earn and give full or partial amount of their earnings to their respective guru. The guru has the right to keep the entire amount. In return the guru provides food, clothing and shelter to the chela. Young hijras get moral and emotional support from the community. Because of their feminine identity, hijras follow matrilineal relationship like sister, aunt, niece, grandmother, granddaughter etc. amongst themselves. (Nanda 1996; Lal 1999; Toumey 2008). Marriages occur among Hijra-Kothi communes . There are hijras who lead a family life being lovable companions. Emasculation is the major source of ritual power of the Hijras. “ It is the source of their uniqueness and the most authentic way of identifying oneself as a hijra and of being so identified by the larger society(Nanda, 24). The

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