Just do it!

Society has determined certain norms and code of conduct for its members to follow. Examples of this would include various transportation rules, theological decrees, social etiquette (like eating with the right hand in the Eastern world) among others. For generations we have been drilled into our psyche that there are two sexes: the male gender and the female counterpart. This union of man and woman is said to be the seed of life and basis of life itself. The Sivaling(am) basically denotes the explosive power of the union of these two sexes. And in the late 20th century the third sex came out of the closet to announce to the world of their desire in the open! This ambiguity actually predates civilization itself as transgenders have been mentioned in Egyptian, Buddhist, Hindu and many more scriptures. In the past they have been suppressing their thoughts so as not tip the balance and not to be stoned to death. Tamil Nadu boasts of 300,000 hijras (as they are called). Even a country crawling with Islamic fundamentalists have accepted transgenders in certain landmark court judgements.

• In the Mahabharata, before the Kurukshetra War, Aravan offers his lifeblood to goddess Kali to ensure the victory of the Pandavas, and Kali agrees to grant him power. On the night before the battle, Aravan expresses a desire to get married before he dies. No woman was willing to marry a man doomed to die in a few hours, so Krishna assumes the form of a beautiful woman called Mohini and marries him. In South India, hijras claim Aravan as their progenitor and call themselves "aravanis". 
• Puranic story of the origin of God Ayyappa tells of Vishnu as Mohini becomes pregnant from Shiva, and gives birth to Ayyappa, who he-she abandons in shame. http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/06/02/indias-transgendered-festival-crowning-koovagam/

Kalki, transsexual &social activist

Hijras in Islamabad!

At Koovagam festival

In a way, these people have to be respected. They know what they want in life and have the guts (@b**!s) to admit and exhibit their sexuality, unlike some who lead fake lives just to please the society! Of course they try to justify their actions by bringing religion into it.
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Tuesday July 24, 2007
Devotees from Malaysia and Singapore fulfil vows to deity for transsexuals

By WANI MUTHIAH

KLANG: 
The five-day celebrations dedicated to Goddess Bahuchara Mataji, the Hindu presiding deity for transsexuals, ended yesterday in a ceremony that saw some 400 participants from Malaysia and Singapore at a temple in Pandamaran near here.
The temple, dedicated to the deity whose main temple is in Shankhalpoor in Gujarat, India, is owned and managed by the local Hindu transgender community. The celebrations began last Thursday with the highlight on the third day when devotees fulfilled vows by carrying pal kudam (milk pots) and thee chatti (earthen pots with fire). Dressed in green sarees, the official colour for Bahuchara Mataji, the entourage, led by the community’s matriarch M. Asha Devi, 63, carried the pal kudam and thee chatti to the temple.

Two devotees balancing milk pots.

This was followed by a chariot procession in the evening with Pandamaran assemblyman Datuk Dr Teh Kim Poo as the event's special guest. Asha Devi said preparations for the celebrations began several months ago, as arrangements had to be made to accommodate the devotees.
“Devotees also prepare themselves by fasting for at least three months before carrying the pal kudam and thee chatti,” said Asha Devi, who runs a food outlet in Kuala Lumpur.
According to her, a flag bearing the Goddess’ emblem was raised on the first day followed by an ubayam (special prayers) on the second day.
“The fourth day was also observed with prayers for Mataji. On the final day, which is today, we have special prayers for a male deity known as Veera Vetai Karar Muniandy followed by anathanam (feeding of the masses),” she added. Meanwhile, S. Komathi, 50, who cooked for the devotees, said this year’s event was special as they were praying hard to obtain a piece of land from the state government to build a proper temple. “The temple is currently situated in the home of one of our members’ grandmothers. Due to space constraints we cannot do any renovation,” said Komathi who owns a flower shop in Klang. Komathi said the community badly needed a bigger temple to accommodate the crowd. “In the past, it was only our community which prayed here but now others are also coming to the temple.” For K. Janani, 27, who came all the way from Singapore to carry the pal kudam, the event was both fun and colourful. “I like the festive atmosphere. I have been coming here for the past two years to offer prayers as our community does not have a dedicated temple in Singapore,” Janani added.

Monday, May 19, 2008

When Lord Shiva turns into a bridegroom
It's part of `dharana' ritual practised in Telangana Strange as it may sound, but some people `marry' Lord Shiva in the temple town of Vemulawada on Rama Navami day in perpetuation of the `Shiva Parvathulu' tradition.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!:

Men in women's attire after their `marriage' 

with Lord Shiva at Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy

Devasthanam in Vemulawada on Thursday.

Photo: R. Raju  

VEMULAWADA (KARIMNAGAR DT.): Come Sri Rama Navami and it is time for people to `marry' Lord Shiva at the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Devasthanams in Vemulawada as part of the "Dharana'' ritual (i.e mangalasutra dharana) practiced by some people in the Telangana region to pay respects to the presiding deity of this temple town.
Sounds strange, but this is a fact. People come from far-flung places of the district and other parts of Telangana to the Raja Rajeshwara temple on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami and marry Lord Shiva and become `Shiva parvathulu' albeit `devadasis' for their well-being and to get rid of evils.
The marriage ceremony is not restricted to women alone.
Here men and children also marry Lord Shiva. People who marry Shiva are colourfully adorned as a bride with new clothes and carry trishul and marry the Lord by sprinkling `akshinthalu' (rice mixed in turmeric powder) and by placing jaggery and jeera on their head as a mark of completion of the marriage.
Priests tie the nuptial knot of devotees with Lord Shiva and the `mangalsutra' and `mattelu' are made of bronze instead of gold and silver. This age-old practice still continues.
After becoming `Shiva parvathulu', they move around the temple town seeking alms from pilgrims visiting the shrine. Even as several people are opposing this practice, the `Shiva Parvathulu,' who marry Lord Shiva say that they are doing this only to fulfill the vow made to God for their well-being.Vow fulfilment
Tukka Ram, who changed his name to Bhavani in order to marry Lord Shiva says: "I am marrying Lord Shiva since my childhood. When I was suffering from some serious ailment my parents had prayed to the Lord that I would be made `Shiva Parvathi' if the disease is cured. Accordingly, when the disease was cured I was married to the Lord during the Sri Rama Navami festival every year.''
Jampaiah of Warangal district asks what is wrong if one marries Lord Shiva, who is ardhanareeswara swamy. "We have been cured of ailments because of blessings of the lord and it is a ritual to marry the lord on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami,'' he said.
Marriage
Giving a go-by to conventions, two men in Vemulawada village have tied the nuptial knot at a temple in the village, about 200 km from here, in Karim Nagar district. Ramakrishna (23), the bridegroom, tied the knot to his friend Nagaraju, clad in traditional silk saree, at Rajarajeswaraswamy temple on Tuesday night. The temple priests solemnised the marriage. After the ceremony, the couple told the newspersons that they were classmates up to intermediate and were staying together in Vijayawada.Another Marriage Incident
In a strange incident, two women got married at a temple in Velgatur mandal on Sunday. D.Chandraleela (28) married U.Swapan (25) of Kannapur villages in Keshavapatnam mandal, at Nagavelli Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple according to available sources. The two had met in Karimnagar and grew very close in a matter of months. Chandrallea is called Chandraiaha in her village, sources say.
Same sex marriage or homosexual marriage, a marriage between partners of the same gender and is a trend followed nation-wide in countries such as Belgium and Netherlands and is getting increasingly accepted in some parts of the United States and Canada. Marriage Acts, State and Central Legislation and Registration and recognition process of same-sex marriages is not consistent and unclear in many parts of the world.
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