Transgender to Third Gender : a Short History of the Journey
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Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Transgender is having a gender (identity) are different from the Cisgender. Most of them which is different from the sex one was assigned are shunned by their family members and the at birth, such as being assigned male at birth but feeling of unloved ruled over them as a crushing having a female gender or vice versa.1Kinnar force. The acute segregation from the mainstream (mythological), Hijra (in North India), Hinjida compelled them to find a space for them only in (east India), Ranga (west Odisha), Chhaka their own community. (coastal Odisha), Kliba (in Bhagbat Gita), Kothi, They earn their livelihood by singing and Aravani, etc. are the different terms used for third dancing in certain happy occasions, such as when gender or third sex by different regions of India. a child is born and in wedding ceremonies, Hijras are a social group, partly religious cult and begging for money in traffic signals, trains, buses partly caste. They are culturally defined either as and sometimes as sex workers.2 Sometimes Hijras “neither men nor women” or as men who become dance in nonritual roles, such as at stag parties, women by adopting women’s dress and for college functions, or in films. A small number Transgender to Third Gender : A Short History of the Journey Dr. Chittaranjan Mishra of Hijras also serve the goddess Bahuchara Mata behaviour. These people are an ethnic group at her major temple in Gujarat, blessing visitors found in Indian, Indonesian, Burmese, to the temple and telling them the stories of the Cambodian, Thai, Tibetan and Filipino cultures. goddess in exchange for a few coins. Hijras can Their presence is found in Hindu Sanskrit also be found as hotel boys, household servants Literatures and Purans, Buddhist Jataka tales, Jain and cooks, and in some cities in India they run scriptures and sculptures of above mentioned public bathhouses. Hijras are generally called cultures. They are a group of people love to dance eunuchs, and sexual impotence is central to the and sing being patronized by the royal elites. definition of a Hijra and a major criterion for When the third sex is identified, he/she is initiation into the group. routinely kept segregated from any mainstream It is impossible to say with certainty how areas, such as schools, office, malls, etc. as they many Hijras there are in India. Large cities APRIL - MAY - 2019 33 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review like Mumbai or Delhi may have 5,000 Hijras We are lover and beloved ever embracing. We living in twenty or thirty localities; the national never allow any body to come in between us and estimate may be as high as 50,000 but another demand affection. Our life is a life of perpetual source estimated their number about 3 million in pleasure.” In the Sankhya Yogo of Srimad India. Bhagvat Gita it has been told by Srikrishna to HISTORY Arjuna that:- The word “Kinnar” is an ancient one. It “Klaibyan maa sma gamah partha 4 appears in a Mesopotamian tablet that lists trade naitatwajyupapadyate” items from ‘Meluhha’aka the Indus Valley. Meaning, “O Partha, don’t be a Kliba (eunuch), Sanskrit and Indus script scholar argues that the it is not good for you and it should not be in this word ‘Kinnar’ comes from the proto Dravidian time”. So Kliba is a term used against the eunuch verb, meaning ‘to strum’ or “to ‘pluck’ (the way character of a man. Indian mythology and one plucks a string instrument). Another historical Buddhist mythology describes Kinnars as celestial connection of the Hijras appears to be with the musicians, paradigmatic lover with a benevolent Magna Mata cults in ancient Greece whose character, a feature of half human and half bird devotees also dresses in women’s clothing and with a feminine beauty residing in Himalaya. But sometimes castrated themselves. In India most Southeast Asian mythology has a belief that they of the devotees of Lord Krishna dresses were residing in Himayanta Mountain. Kalidasa themselves in women clothing and tries to appear in his Kumara Sambhava describes them as before Krishna as Sriradha, the perpetual lover dwelling in the Himalayas. Kinnaras lived also over of Lord Krishna. Indian epics have provided the the hills of Pandaraka, Trikutaka, Malkangiri, names of some ancient important species such as Candaparbata, and Gandhamardana (Jataka No. Nara, Banar, Yaksha, Rakshas, Gandharva, 485). Lotus sutra of Buddhism names an ancient Kinnar, Sura, Asura etc. presented in the world. string instrument as “Kinnari Veena”. Burmese Odia Adikabi Sarala Das in his book the Buddhists believe that out of the 136 past animal “Mahabharat” has given a description of some lives of Buddha, four were Kinnara. The kinnari species as:- is also one of the 108 symbols on the footprint of “Kandha Mallhar Kirat nrupati Buddha. The Kinnar and Kinnari couple is considered as a sacred symbol of the Karenni Gandharva Kinnar Chandra Surya sama people of Burma. The statue presented as award 3 gotri” to the winner of “Myanmar Academy Award” is (Sarala Mahabharat (Odia), Adyaparva, 15th of a Kinnari. The ancient sculptures of Sanchi, century) Barhut, Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Mathura, and the paintings of Ajanta depict Kinnaras Adiparva of the Mahabharat says in the language invariably.5 of Kinnars as “we are everlasting lover and beloved. We never separate as we are eternal The character of combined man and husband and wife and never do we become women or androgyny is a frequent and significant mother and father. No offspring is seen in our lap. theme in Hindu mythology. Bahuchara Mata, the 34 APRIL - MAY - 2019 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 main object of Hijra veneration is specifically Kinnar is known as ‘Miamchi’ or Shang-Shang associated with transvestism and transgenderism. and depicted as a winged man and a celestial ‘Ardhanariswar’ (half male and half female) musician. In Nyingma Mantrayan traditions of incarnation of Lord Siva is greatly honoured by Mahayogo Bauddha dharma Shang-Shang the Hijras as they identified themselves with this symbolizes “Enlightened activity”. Harppy and form of Lord Siva. In the Mahabharata, Siren are the two Mythological characters of Shikhandi is the most important Hijra character Greek Mythology resemble the Kinnar.7 who mainly responsible for the death of Bhisma. RITUALS AND TRADITIONS Arjuna, the third Pandav spent a year as a eunuch in the name of ‘Brihanala’ in the palace of Social organization of Hijras has based Biratnagra. Some scholars place Lord Srikrishna on strong principles. The senior person of the and Vishnu in the category of eunuch as he had organization is regarded as a Guru (teacher) and transformed himself several times into female form. other members as Chelas (disciples). The Guru But no Kinnar character is described in the in the relationship with the disciples is just like a Ramayana. In Medieval India it was seen that father, mother, husband or a guardian where as Hijras or eunuchs served in the harems of the others are the dependents. The Guru takes care Mughal rulers.6 of the Chelas and fulfills all the material needs or primary necessities such as the food, shelter, Architecture and Depiction on Kinnar is safety and security of them in return the Chela also found in Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, has to pay respect, show his obedience and give Thailand, Tibet and Greek. In Burma Kinnars are a portion of her earnings. Co-chelas are like the called ‘Keinnaya” or Kinnay’ its female form is sisters in relation. When a Hijra joins the Kinnayi or Kinnayi. The flag of Karenni state community, she pays a “fee” which gives her the (Kayah state) include a figure of the Kinnar. right to earn a living in the particular territory Kinnaris of Burma were decorated with covered “owned” by her Guru. After a Hijra joins in an breast. In Cambodia the figure of Kinnaries are organization under a particular Guru she was considered as the symbol of beauty and skilled allowed to earn her livelihood in the economic dancers. Kinnaris are depicted more than that of territory of the Guru. Guru’s sisters are called the Kinnaras in Cambodia but in Indonesia the Aunty and Guru’s Guru is called Grandmother. A images of both Kinnara and Kinnaris (coupled Guru passes down her wealth and possessions figure) are depicted a large in the temples of to one or more of her Chelas, usually the senior Borbudur, Mendut, Pawon, Sewo, Sari and Chela. The Guru and the Chelas of the same Prambanan. They are figured as half human and organization are regarded as a descend group half bird, similar to the image of angels (Human similar to a clan. There are number of clan head with lower limbs of Birds). In Thailand same organizations exist in a particular city, town or a to the Indonesian Kinnari figures are depicted. geographical area. And the head of all these clan The most famous Kinnari figure of this country is organizations, who takes major decisions, is called Manora (manohara), the heroin character of the ‘Jamat’. When a Hijra dies, it is the members of story book “Pannas Jatak” by Chingmai, the her house who arrange the funeral. Suspension Buddhist monk (1450-1470). In Tibetan language from a clan is the result only of severe misbehavior, APRIL - MAY - 2019 35 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review such as attacking one’s Guru. For lesser offenses subsequently to a ritual involving fertility Hijras may be warned, fined, or have their hair symbolism relating to marriage and childbirth, cut by the Jamat. A domestic unit of Hijra usually becomes a Hijra, and is then invested with the contains five to fifteen people, under the direction power of the goddess to bless and curse.9 of a Guru or house manager.