train varanasi-calcutta - interesting experience!

we recently travelled overnight from varanasi to calcutta, the train was running late, and we stopped at yet another station for longer than usual. we were alone in the end compartment and the whole carriage was fairly empty as we were nearing calcutta. suddenly 2 hijras (men, eunuchs or hermaphrodites, dressed as women) entered our compartment and demanded money. they were beautifully dressed and made up, but their behaviour was in complete contrast to their modest dress and the modest behaviour of indian women. they sashayed over to me and rpvocatively said "i very poor you give me 50 rupees". i refused. they kept repeating the demand. i kept refusing the money.

by this time as there were few other people around we began to feel a bit vulnerable but eventually my husband stood up (over 6ft tall), i shouted, a few other passengers came to see what the noise was about, and they left.

we soon regained both our sense of proportion and our sense of humour! for those of you who know him just imagine eddie izzard (uk stand up comedian) in a sari!

apparently hijras attend weddings where they are 'paid' to bring good luck, and they also target parties and businesses where the host 'pays' them to leave rather than have their vulgar behaviour cause embarrassment to guests or clients. william dalrymple writes about hijras in city of djinns - worth reading.

i didn't think hijras worked the trains, and certainly we were the only ones targetted, i can only imagine they discovered from the vendors that there were westerners on the train.

all part of the great indian experience - anyone else experienced similar?

I ran into groups of young hijras -- dressed like gypsies -- on two train rides; once near Bhopal and another time in Bhubaneshwar. Both times they were leaving the train as I was boarding -- they said "hello" and so did I. Smiles all around. Do you think they could tell that I'm from San Francisco and that for me, men in women's clothing is no big thing?