Gender and the Hijra's Gaze.

Hijras - India's Third Gender.

India.
Photography & text by Bharat Patel.

"Hijras”, a term used to describe Eunuchs, cross dressers and transgenders are since 2014 officially recognized as the third gender in India. Hijras live as separate tight-knit communities and their existence date back to several thousand years. For time immemorial they were revered and have also held influential positions during the Mogul courts and respected as spiritual figures in the Hindu society. All this however changed within a few decades under the British Rule when the western attitudes prevailing at the time described them as the “vilest and most polluted being”. Today Hijras still draw a lingering respect for being auspicious but at the same time are being shunned by the society at large.
Hijras live in “Akhadas” (homes) with strict social structure, consisting of a guru and her “Chelas” (followers). It is a pyramidal structure with all gurus linking up to a main Guru. Hijras are often seen blessing new born children, newlyweds (in return for payment, unfortunately often by means of harassment), or by begging on streets and trains or through sex work.

Through this project I explore this complex relationship of Hijras with the general public and also within their own communities. I had been given exclusive access to their homes, their Akhadas and their places of work. Hijra is a common Hindi term and widely used when referring to transgender people in India. In other regional languages they are referred to with different names. For example, in Urdu the term is “Khwaja sira”, in Punjabi it is Khusra, in Gujarati it is pavaiya, in Tamil it is “Thiru nangai” etc. For the purpose of this short document I have referred to them as Hijras.

Photos at top:
Woman Gaze. 

Photo above:

Chela Bonding. 

Photo below:
Asking for Blessings.

I first started thinking of doing a project on Hijras when I was researching the history of the Nomadic and Denotified tribes of India; a project which I have been working on for the past several years. During the British Rule an act – the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 – was passed in which almost 200 tribes were declared as criminal tribes. Hijras were one of the communities criminalized (Notified) through amendments to this act. The consequences of this act are still being felt throughout India. Though after independence all these tribes/communities were denotified, * the stigma of them once being “criminals” is difficult to eradicate and as a consequence Hijras continue to suffer discrimination and marginalization. *(to repeal the categorization of (a tribe) as criminal under the Criminal Tribes Act.)

Photo above:
At Home.

Photo below:
Child being blessed on the streets.

As part of my work on Nomadic and Denotified tribes, I was fortunate to be introduced to several Hijra communities in Gujarat, India. I say fortunate, because to a large extent they have lived a life they are seldom willing to share with others. It was also a rare opportunity to spend time with them when all around the world there are politically charged discussions and protests on same sex marriages and transgender rights. Hijras, whose history dates back thousands of years, have always been a regular part of south Asian society. It was an opportunity for me to explore the complex relationship of Hijras with the public at large and also within their own communities. Though they have a similar lifestyle in all parts of India my work has mainly focused on the Hijras of Gujarat. Most of what I have learned about them has been by spending time with them over many days and following them as they went about their life. It was difficult at first as they did not want to be photographed. Once they appreciated the documentary nature of my purpose and that I was there to convey their stories, misunderstood by many, they eventually opened up to me and allowed me into their “Akhadas”. They really wanted to tell their stories though some aspects of their life and conversion ceremonies are kept secret.

I have visited several Hijra communities where I met some wonderful individuals. Their stories are painful. Many Hijras claimed that they are the souls of beautiful females trapped in undesired male bodies. Over several months I photographed the Hijras individually and collectively in a way that shows them as they are rather than through conceptual images of sexual beings. I found them a compassionate people who could at times be verbally aggressive and single minded. My approach to photographing them has been direct and a deliberate record of their life. I photographed them in their Akhadas, on the streets and in temples. Most of them were outgoing, flirtatious and jolly, loved to dress up, perform, and have their photos taken. With a reputation for colorful saris, playful personalities, and brash singing and their trademark loud clapping, hijras make their presence known on streets across all cities of India. They scratch out a living blessing newborn children and newlyweds (in return for payment), through harassment, by begging on streets and trains or demanding money from shopkeepers and passengers on buses and trains (though a bill passed in 2018 criminalizes them for such acts) or through sex work. For income they roam the busy streets in groups with excessive makeup, striking lipsticks and dressed in multicolour saris. Together with their loud vocal personalities they become the centre of attention, through often in a way that makes the public rather uncomfortable.
Some describe it as the worst of male and female personalities coming together.

For time immemorial Hijras were revered and respected as spiritual figures in the Hindu society. In South East Asia and particularly in India, Hijras held significant roles in some of the most important ancient texts of Hinduism including the Mahabharat, Ramayana and Kama Sutra. One of the gods, Shiva, is shown merged with his wife Parvati to form “Ardhanari”, an androgynous being. A perfect being. It represents the synthesis of intertwined masculine and feminine energies and attributes. The two are inseparable and necessary for a balanced living. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Buddha is often worshiped as a combination of the powerful and compassionate masculine form (Yab) inseparable from the gentle and wise female form (Yum). The two forms, exiting as one, has long been accepted by practitioners of eastern religions and philosophies for millennia.

Photo above:
Annual Hijra gathering.

It would be little surprise then that in the past Hijras were looked upon as unique people and revered for what they were. They were considered to have special powers and were sought after when a newborn or a newly married couple needed to be blessed for prosperity and fertility. Most Hijras are themselves devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata, a Hindu goddess of fertility and chastity. Her primary temple which was built in 1152 is located in Becharaji town in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, India.
From the sixteenth century onwards, during the Mogul rule and when Islam had taken root in India, the notion of Hijras had begun to make inroads into Muslim culture too. Hijras began to hold important positions in Mogul courts. They were also deemed to be “safe” with the women folk and were often given the task to tend and guard the large Mogul harems.

However when the Indian subcontinent came under colonial rule, British authorities sought to eradicate and criminalize the Hijras. They had seen Hijras and judged them only by their behaviours that seemed to be at odds with the behaviour of one of the two genders assigned at birth. They were ridiculed and looked down upon because they behaved outside the gender roles expected by western society. The notion of a man behaving and acting as a woman or dressing as a woman were at odds with teachings in the west. Very little was understood about the very fluid gender-based mental and physical makeup of a person that could exist as one. When western colonisers first encountered Hijra they were described as the “vilest and most polluted being”. As a consequence, the respect which Hijras had held in the Hindu society slowly began to fade as the western thinking began to make its mark. They draw just a lingering respect for being auspicious and in most cases are being discriminated against and scorned almost everywhere. To escape from this constant discrimination and abuse they tend to live in well organized and tight nit small communities which give them protection – a place where they can have the strongest sense of belonging. These pockets of community provide them the shelter of family and the warmth of human relationships.

Photo above:
Hijra Relationship.

In Gujarat these community homes are known as “Akhadas”. Here Hijras live with strict social structure, consisting of a “Guru” and her “Chelas” (followers/disciples). Gurus act as household heads and are guardians of all properties pertaining to their Akhadas. They may have anywhere from 5 to 15 Chelas under her. All gurus link up to a handful of main Gurus – the “Nayaks”. It is a kinship hierarchy with a pyramidal structure with the more spiritual Hijras promoted up the hierarchy. A Guru will collect all income brought in by the chelas (disciples) on a daily basis. This is then redistributed to pay for their day-to-day living including providing them homes and paying for the rents. In return chelas are expected to be obedient to their Guru who will guide them through their life. Under such hierarchical structure the lives of the “true” Hijras (white saris) are governed by rules and regulations laid down by their immediate superiors. For example, a Chela under one Guru may not switch to another Guru without the second guru paying a premium. This is a fee for having trained the Chela and for the loss of income for the Akhada. Serious fights and even murders have been committed for breach of rules. Added to this there is also jealousy and competition between Chelas and between the communities. Each Guru has her own territory within which her Chelas can move freely and raise funds. Moving into someone else’s territory can have dire consequences. Disputes between Chelas and Gurus are escalated upwards and the high-ranking Gurus are asked to resolve the matter, normally by way of a fine. These rules are agreed by all Gurus and are strictly obeyed.

Photo above:
Top of Guru hierarchy.

To be part of this special Hijra community and to “qualify” to live in Akhadas, individuals have to renounce all relationships with families and friends. The joining initiation is marked with special celebration. Hijra going through this ceremony then consider themselves to have stopped being a notional "white" sari dresser, the ones who lived a life in the community at large, are instead a "red" sari dresser who commit to living in Akhadas. This cross over of "Hijrahood", is a proud moment for those who take abode in an Akhada under one guru. For these dedicated "red" sari Hijras, all other Hijras (transgender, bisexual, and homosexual people, as well as cross-dressers) who still live with families and the society at large are "white" sari dressers and are as such "false" Hijras.
As a sign of total commitment, "red sari" Hijras are also more likely to undergo castration at considerable risk to their life. Previously, castration was undertaken by other Hijras after a long ceremony lasting several days. Though a safer route is now available through hospitals, it remains a costly privately funded operation.
Within the Hijra communities those making a living through traditional means by blessing children or blessing newlyweds are better respected and gain higher status than those making a living by practicing prostitution or eking out a living begging for alms. For this project I spent time with both the red sari and white sari Hijras.
Hijra is a common Hindi term and widely used when referring to transgender people in India. In other regional languages they are referred to with different names. For example, in Urdu the term is “Khwaja sira”, in Punjabi it is Khusra, in Gujarati it is pavaiya, in Tamil it is “Thiru nangai” etc. For the purpose of this short document I have referred to them as Hijras.

Thanks for reading.