Empowerment of transvestites on Koovagam fest

[Guest guest]

Empowerment of transvestites on Koovagam fest

By Papri Sri Raman, Indo-Asian News Service

Villupuram (Tamil Nadu), May 10 (IANS) India's transvestites, who

have faced ostracism for centuries, are discovering their identities

and potentials and getting to know their rights and social duties in

a tiny village festival here in Tamil Nadu

Since time immemorial, the Aravanis or eunuch-transvestites have

been gathering at the ancient temple of the deity Koothandavar in

Koovagam village, about 200 km south of Chennai, to perform an

annual ritual of wedding and widowhood.

This year the festival or the day of the transvestites fell Tuesday

night. They celebrate their special day by meeting friends and

family, participating in fashion shows, debates and theatre, telling

their life stories, exhibiting their skills and, of course, giving

non-profit organisations like the Tamil Nadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) a

platform to spread awareness about sexually transmitted diseases and

the HIV.

For the TAI, the traditional Koovagam festival is becoming the focus

of its HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.

The celebration night is usually a full moon night in the month

of 'Chithirai', when Krishna, according to Indian epic Mahabharata,

dressed like a woman and married a warrior called Aravan, who died

in a battle the following morning.

The celebration includes a wedding ritual, in which the

transvestites participate as the bride.

A large number of those who congregate in the Villupuram village

during this week every year are sex workers.

This year, the TAI, along with other organisations like the Native

Medicare Charitable Trust and the Association for Rural Mass (ARM),

launched a programme 'Nalladoru Samudayathirku Nangalum' or 'We too

are for a healthy society', to increase the quality of life of the

community.

With nearly 300,000 Aravanis in the state, the transvestites have

for the first time done away with making demands from the

authorities. Besides, more than 100,000 Aravanis cast their votes in

the just-ended assembly elections.

The transvestites, backed by organisations, have come up with a

memorandum saying that they are a part of society and calling for

public support to their activities like anti-polio and anti-HIV/AIDS

awareness programmes.

They have also called for assistance in education, behavioural and

professional change and weaning the younger generation away from

begging.

The festival that ends Wednesday evening is being marked by talent

shows, distribution of free butter milk, rallies, discussions on

empowerment, fashion shows, theatres and dance competitions.

There is also a mobile health clinic providing free and specialised

health checkups for common health problems and for specific STD

problems at the temple grounds.

TAI-ARM are also honouring veteran Aravanis who have over the years

become role models for the community, unheard elsewhere in the world.

For the last decade, apart from being a mere ritual, this

traditional gathering has also become a knowledge meet for the

transvestite community.

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

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