Hijras

In answer to query by member Zeppy, I thought I'd start a thread on this rather interesting aspect of India, Hijras

I know very little about them, except that they don't consider themselves men or women. They perform certain rituals at births, of boys I believe and aren't above a bit of sexual terrorism or shaming the family honour, if their payment is not met. They live in groups, with Gurus to oversee the group.
Didn't one get into politics??

The place I mostly come into contact with them is on the train, where their outragious behaviour earns them small fortunes from embaressed male Indians!!
I use counter intelligence to fend them off, give them a quick cuddle and ask THEM for 50 rupees for my trouble. Usually gets a giggle, my fellow Indian passengers look on bemused

so true cyber hippie

Earlier they were called on any auspicious ocassion as its beleived that thier blessing are quite useful and effective. But now-a-days they are into full time business. They have full fledged armed gangs who have marked thier teritories of operation, and very often you can read in newspapers about clashes between them.

Its but obivious seeing all this they have lost the common man faith and sympathy.

I was travelling from Chennai-Jaipur train a month ago and a Hijra came in our sleeper coach. I didn't look toward him. Another guy looked at him and asked "Kya Chaiye" (What do you want?). Hijra answers - "Tumhe nahi pata mujhe kya chahiye" (You dont know what I want).

Smiles all around and he gave 5/10 Rupees to Hijra.

I read in the Hindu recently that the banks were considering hiring them to recover bad debts....... They certainly can collect the cash

Dalyrmyple has a nice sketch of this in his Djinns book..

Quite some time back (years) I read that they were being used to recover debt, and that was a new lucrative business for them. Perhaps this is when their 'downfall', if I can put it that way, talked about by Travinfo began?

I have never had any, errr, contact, with them, although I fairly regularly see one, or a small group, going down a street from shop to shop. They do not appear to beg from individuals, only ask money of the shopkeepers. Here they are called 'nain' (I don't know how to spell it, and Mrs N is out, pronounced like '9'.

I think the life of a transsexual is pretty tough in many parts of the world. Here at least they have their own community.

At least in parts of north india, there is a tradition where they are invited to one of the ceremonies at a wedding; a group of them come and dance and are paid quite handsomely.

As children, we used to try to get them to dance with the more straight laced people in the family. I got fired a couple of times for this, because usually the hijras dance with each other.
Or at least in my experience.

some time back there was a very nice documentary about their lifestyle s their ritual s and all about them on ndtv on a late night show .
They are the trobuled lot if you ask me they cant get themselves employed anywhere not as hoousehold help nor in a commercial establishment .
So the begging lifestyle but mind you all of them are not poor or anything there are very rich ones too and they even own an apartment in mumbai !!
and yes they are called for marriages and child birth s and opening of new business establishment s too as it is beleived that their DUA goes directly to god so does their HAI too!!!

their death is also marked with playing of dhol around them and other s dance forming a circle and they r very discreet about their lifestyle s shall never tell u anything about it

what they ask for is just some respect and some money depending on your capabilty which they shall judge !!!!!

You find them begging at traffic signals in Delhi. Members of local gangs routinely collect money from shops & other establishments in commercial areas.
They have a good channel of information. When ever a baby is born to any family they come to know of it. They invariably turn up after the baby comes back home. They also keep track of marriages in their locality as well as people buying flats/houses & moving in.

All in all a fair bit of intelligence work then Jyoti. Amazing how they can get to know about all this!!

that s field work !!!!!

how are they suppose to keep themselve updated???

Right CH. Like the dabbawallas of Mumbai who are masters of logistics & transportation management these Hijras are master of intelligence management. It is practically impossible to avoid them.
In Kolkata Hijras do visit after a baby is born but they dont turn up at marriages.

I see they also have Hirjas in Pakistan, where Islam is quite accomodating!!

They found out from Hospitals when a baby is born. They enquire at Marriage Halls/Gardens about the impending weddings.

They also have people roaming the areas to look for lighting or festivities going out at homes.

Each area is assigned to a group of Hijra's. Recently there was a marriage in the family. They demanded Rs. 21000 and finally settled on 11000