INTRODUCTION
In Ancient India, there were so many words for non-heterosexual gender in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil as napunsaka, kliba, kinnara, kimpurush, ubhaylingi, eunuch, pedi, pandaka. Vedas, purana, kama-shastra , naytya-shastra, ayurveda, Manusmriti of the Hindus, as well as in Jain agamas and Buddhist pitakas are the reference where these kinds of words were used. Transgender community comprises of Hijras, eunuchs, Kothis, Aravanis, Jogappas, Shiv-Shaktis, etc. Eunuchs have existed since 9th century BC. And then identified as
“Tritiya-Prakriti” in Mahashi Vatshayan’s Kama-Shastra (11th -12th Century) . The term Hijra is derived from the Urdu word meaning ‘impotent ones’. Within the Indian context the term hijra is used for people who identify themselves as ‘neither man nor woman’, ‘kinnar’(a Sanskrit term) or ‘third gender’( In modern term).
TRANSGENDERISM IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY
As religion is of great importance to the hijras, they underline their origins and connection with Indian gods. Hijras have an interesting spiritual backup. They identify themselves with the god Shiva, a central, sexually ambivalent figure in Hinduism, who integrates both male and female characteristics in his hermaphroditic aspect of Ardhanarishvara, "The Lord whose half is a woman". The mythology of Ardhanarishvara originates in the Puranas, but it was developed later to explain existent images of the deity that had emerged in the Kushan era. In the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu takes the form of the enchantress, Mohini, in order to trick the demons into giving up Amrita, the elixir of life. Shiva later becomes attracted to Mohini and spills his semen on the rocks which turn into gold. In the Brahmanda Purana, Shiva's wife Parvati "hangs her head in shame" when she sees her husband's pursuit of Mohini. In some stories Shiva asks Vishnu to take on the Mohini form again so he can see the actual transformation for himself. Stories in which Shiva knows of Mohini's true nature have been interpreted to "suggest the fluidity of gender in sexual attraction".
Hijra characters hold significant roles in some of the most important texts of Hinduism, including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. According to the Indian tradition and to the epic itself everything what is present in its verses is religiously and legally sanctioned, while whatever is not found in the Mahabharata, does not exist. Thus, in its fourth book in titled Virata Parva, Arjuna in 13thyear of the Pandavas’ exile cursed by the nymph Urvasi has to spend one year in the court of the king Virata as Brihannala, wandering as a dancer and singer among women, dressed in a saree, reputed to be unmanly like eunuch. Changes of sex and cross-dressing also occur in epics about non-divine figures. One such figure is Shikhandi, a character in the Mahabharata. He was originally born as a girl named 'Shikhandini' to Drupada, the king of Panchala. During the Kurukshetra war, Bhishma recognised him as Amba reborn and refused to fight 'a woman'. Accordingly, Arjuna hides behind Shikhandi in order to defeat the almost invincible Bhishma. The ancient text depicts the legendary eighteen-day bloodbath, dubbed the Kurukshetra War, where the legend of Shrikhandi, the transgenered warrior paid the price of opposing powerful men and the greatest feat was not defeating the enemy, but overcoming stereotyped prejudice.
Then later, there is another episode, present in the southern version of the Mahabharata, where during the Kauravas-Pandavas war, the Pandavas have to make a human sacrifice, for ensuring victory in the war. No one is ready to volunteer, till finally, Aravan, the son of Arjuna comes forward and offers himself for sacrifice. There is but one condition: he should enjoy one night of marital bliss before the sacrifice. This proves to be a difficult situation since no king is willing to marry his daughter to Aravan, knowing well that she would be widowed the next day. Finally, Lord Krishna takes a female form of Mohini and spends one night of marital bliss with Aravan. Thanks to it, Aravan is duly sacrificed the next day. And the story become more and more popular through the ages and now, every year in the village of Koovagam in Villupuram district in Tamilnadu, there is a temple festival of hijras who comes from all the country to attend it. That is why the transgenders or hijras are also known as Aravani.
The hijras trace their origins back to the religious era of Rama, again finding the confirmation in the southern version of the second great epic, The Ramayana, which narrates that when Rama was sent into exile with Sita and Lakshmana at the behest of his father, he was followed to the banks of the river at the edge of the forest by his adoring subjects. Reached the shore, he turned to his people and said: "Men and women please go back and perform your duties". When he returned to Ayodhya fourteen years later after his victory over Ravana, he found a cluster of people still gathered at the same spot. They told him that since they were neither men nor women, they had felt themselves exempt from Rama's injunction. For this act of exemplary devotion, they received the blessing of Rama.
Transgenders have always been welcome the Hindu culture. Bahuchara Mata is a patron goddess of the Hijra. In popular iconography she is often shown riding a rooster and carrying a sword, trident and a book. Her primary temple is in Becharaji town , Mehsana district of Gujarat. Within India, mythologies supply the categories by which the world is ordered and shaped which therefore permits and sanctions hijra identity, though it remains deeply transgressive.
The Gopeshwar Mahadev Temple is another significant shrine where the exemplary transgender expression of Lord Shiva is located in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. As per legend, Lord Shiva once wanted to witness the rasalila dance between Lord Krishna and the gopis. But since he was male he wasn’t allowed to enter the place where the rasalila was taking place. He changed his form for the purpose and went in as a female. As a result, the shiva lingam at this temple is adorned in women’s clothing.
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY IN INDIA
Mughal Period - Hijras played a famous role in the royal courts of the Islamic world, particularly in the Ottoman empires and the Mughal rule in the Medieval India. They rose to well-known positions as political advisors, administrators, generals as well as guardians of the harems. Hijras were consider clever, trustworthy and fiercely loyal and had free access to all spaces and sections of population, thereby playing a crucial role in the politics of empire building in the
Mughal era. The Hijras also occupied high positions in the Islamic religious institutions, especially in guarding the holy places of Mecca and Medina the person of trust, they were able to influence state decisions and also received large amount of money to have been closest to kings and queens. Thus hijra frequently state the role of their status in that period.
British Period - In the beginning of the British period in Indian sub-continent hijra used to accept protections and benefits by some Indian states through entry into the hijra community. Furthermore, the benefits incorporated the provision of land, rights of food and smaller amount of money from agricultural households in exact area which were ultimately removed through British legislation as because the land was not inherited through blood relations.
CRIMINALIZATION UNDER THE COLONIAL RULE Through the onset of colonial rule from the 18th century onwards, the situation changed drastically. Accounts of early European travelers showed that they were repulsed by the sight of Hijras and could not comprehend why they were given so much respect in the royal courts and other institutions. In the second half of the 19th century, the British colonial administration vigorously sought to criminalize the hijra community and to deny them the civil rights. Hijras were considered to be separate caste or tribe in different parts of India by the colonial administration
CRIMINALIZATION AND MARGINALIZATION DURING POST-INDEPENDENCE ERA
However the Act was repealed in 1952 and its legacy continues and many local laws reflected the prejudicial attitudes against certain tribes, including against Hijras. Recently, the Karnataka Police Act was amended in 2012 to “provide for registration and surveillance of Hijras who indulged in kidnapping of children, unnatural offences and offences of this nature” (Section 36A), in a similar vein tothe Criminal Tribes Act,1871, According to Section 36A, Karnataka Police Act, 1964, Power to regulate eunuchs. Through, the transgender community was given high position in Vedic period and Mughal period but faced many problems obstacles in British colonial rules. But now to safe guard the transgender communities because there are many policy and schemes implemented by the government. Through his social economical status of the transgender community will be developed.
References-
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