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For other meanings see Hijra . In the culture of the Indian Subcontinent a hijra (sometimes '''hijira''' or '''hijda''') is a physically Male or Intersex person who is considered a member of "the Third Sex ." They usually refer to themselves as Female at the language level; many of them are Castrated . Hijras trace their historical roots to Hinduism where they mirrored Androgynous deities, as well as to the royal courts of Islamic rulers. PRONUNCIATION, OTHER NAMES The Hindi word "hijra", written as हीजड़ा in Devanagari , has a pronunciation between those of "heejra" and "heejda"; the IPA notation is . In the Punjab and much of northern India they are known as khusra or '''khoti''' or '''chakka''', while in Tamil Nadu they are called '''aruvani'''. All of these names are now considered preferable to the English term, " Eunuch ". DIFFERENT KINDS OF HIJRAS Hijras include people born with a male body, but with a non-male or female Gender Identity ; Transgender , Transsexual or Androgynous people; individuals born with ambiguous genitalia or hormonal differences ( Intersex ); and individuals who have had Castration / Genital Reassignment Surgery performed on them. Hijras say that the genital-severing happens with consent; people who do not like hijras say that the same sometimes happens forcibly. BECOMING AND LIVING AS A HIJRA Becoming a hijra is a process of socialization into a "hijra family" through a relationship characterised as ''chela'' "student" to ''guru'' "teacher", leading to a gradual assumption of femininity. Stereotypically each ''guru'' lives with at least five ''chela''s; her ''chela''s assume her surname and are considered part of her lineage. ''Chela''s are expected to give their income to their ''guru'', who manages the household. Hijra families are close knit communities, which often have their own houses. The culmination of this process is a religious ritual that includes castration. Although it is expected in the hijra subculture, not all hijras undergo castration, and the percentage of hijras which are eunuchs is unknown. The operation, referred to by hijras as a ''nirvan'', or rebirth, involves the severing of the Penis and Testes with a knife cut performed without anesthesia by a Dai (traditional midwife). In modern times, some hijras may undergo Sex Reassignment Surgery , but such cases are rare. SOCIAL STATUS AND MAKING A LIVING Most hijras live at the margins of society with very low status; the very word "hijra" is sometimes used in a derogatory manner. Few employment opportunities are available to hijras, who must often resort to begging or Prostitution (as Hindu Temple Prostitutes in premodern times). The men who engage in sexual relations with hijras are not considered Gay in the Western sense, just as hijras are not gay but instead members of the third gender. In fact, some Hijras find husbands. Hijras also perform traditional religious ceremonies at marriages and at the birth of male babies. Hijra attendance at birth and wedding ceremonies are usually uninvited, involving music, singing, and sexually suggestive dancing. These are intended to bring good luck and fertility. As per societal norms, the host pays the hijras a fee. It is believed in India that the newborn baby will be blessed if exposed to the Hijra's manhood. In recent times, foreign negative attitudes have affected the Hijra's cultural status. Some now view them with contempt and bribe hijras to shorten their ceremonies. No matter what attitude individuals have toward hijras, most people respect the tradition that hijras have supernatural powers attributed to their castration that, if offended, bring bad luck. Many modern hijras, faced with health concerns and discrimination, have become politically active. For example, they have formed HIV / AIDS awareness groups to combat health problems within their communities. Other Hijras have been elected to high political positions. Commonly these Hijra-rights groups also support Gay Rights issues in the Indian subcontinent, but this is a newly-emerging situation. HISTORY The ancient Kama Sutra mentions the performance of Oral Sex on male parishioners at Hindu temples by hijras. In Islamic societies, they were associated with the ruling class and hired as court Eunuch s. Hijras as servants for the muslim nobility were not unusual until the 1950s . During British Colonialism , negative attitudes towards hijras were imported from Europe . The British passed laws outlawing their practices. Homosexual depictions in many Hindu Temple s were Effaced . After Independence , anti-hijra laws were repealed, but a law outlawing castration, a central part of the hijra community, was left intact, though rarely enforced. In November of 2000, Asha Devi - a hijra - was elected mayor of Gorakhpur, a post reserved for a woman. The city had a population of approximately 500,000 as of 1991. She was unseated when a court decreed that she was a man {Link without Title} , but was later reinstated. HIJRAS AND RELIGION In Hindu contexts, hijras belong to a special Caste and are special devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata . Within Muslim contexts, the hijra third gender is believed to be the result of Allah 's will. All hijras, whether Hindu or Muslim, have been affected by Islamic practices. For example, they bury their dead instead of the normal Cremating . Every April, an annual Koothandavar temple festival is celebrated in the village Koovagam in the Ulundurpet Taluk in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu , where the temple for the hijras is located. The hijras marry the Lord Vishnu / Krishna and then the next day, mourn his death through ritualistic dances and by breaking their bangles. An annual beauty peageant is also held. Hijras from different places travel to this festival, and a personal subjective experience of the hijras in this festival is shown in the fascinating documentary '' India's Ladyboys '', by BBC Three . DOCUMENTARIES The hijra subculture was subject of the Documentaries ''Jareena, Portrait of a Hijda'' (1990) ''The Hijras: India's Third Gender'' (2001) [http://www.sextelevision.net/archives/episodeArchivesDisplay.asp?episodeID=18&segmentID=40&seasonID=4 , the above-mentioned ''India's Ladyboys'' (2003) and ''Between the Lines: India's Third Gender'' (2005) [http://www.llgff.org.uk/films_details.php?FilmID=445 . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES # ''Neither Man Nor Woman: The Hijras of India'' by Serena Nanda. Wadsworth Publishing, 1998. (ISBN 0-53450-903-7) # ''Lovemaps'', p. 106, by John Money. Irvington Publishers, Inc., 1988. (ISBN 0-87975-456-7) |
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