Chants of Vedic hymns in Sanskrit echo near the Sangam—a point of confluence for Hindus – where a bath is believed to flush away all of one's sins. These voices emanating from the rows of tents sprawled across the banks of Ganga and Yamuna are manly. The priests who chant these hymns are men, all stationed across the sprawling area earmarked for the 2019 Kumbh Mela.
However, what sets one such cluster of tents apart is the voice behind the mantras. It’s rough and coarse as that of a man but those who are chanting these hymns aren’t men.
Unlike the Naga Sadhus—crowned with matted hair on ash smeared bare bodies—who walk nonchalantly naked, and thousands of Hindu priests who drape themselves in saffron clothing, people in this part of Kumbh Mela walk with an air of flamboyance and color. Their vibrant saris, shining jewellery, septum rings, make-up and the waist-length blond-streaked hair is in stark contrast from the other priests and worshippers.
“This establishment of the Kinnar Akhara proved to be a stepping stone to regain the past glory of Hijras in India.”
This group of richly dressed Hindu saints like to be identified as ‘Kinnars’— neither men nor women. Ask one of them what the word means and they’ll say it is the name of “the oldest ethnic transgender community in the world with its own religious beliefs.”
Earlier this week, Kinnars, also known as Hijras who can be Trans, intersex, or eunuchs, took their very first Devatva Yatra on the streets of Allahabad. They danced to the tune of Bhakti music. As several raths decorated with flowers carrying these Kinnars went through the city amid the noise of musical instruments and chanting of mantras, history was created.
For the first time, Kinnar saints of the Vedic Sanatan Dharma were given a space at the Kumbh Mela.
However, this community lacks recognition. The Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad - an organisation of Hindu saints and ascetics in India, are yet to recognise them.
But for Kinnars, “nothing else will stop them anymore.” Read more via News 18