ipl-logo

Essay On Aravan Festival

1088 Words5 Pages

It is an eighteen-day event in southern India that commemorates the one-day marriage of Aravan, a hero selected for human sacrifice, and Mohini, a beautiful female incarnation of the god Krishna. It is also a festival that draws Aravanis (male-to-female transgender people devoted to Aravan, also known as alis and hijras (people born male or intersex who dress as women and may undergo ritual castration).“Aravani,” ”Ali” and “hijra” are sometimes treated as synonyms, and sometimes as distinct identities. The largest Aravani festival is held every year in the town of Koovagam, near Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India in the month of Chithirai (April-May) at the Koothandavar Temple. Approximately twenty-five thousand Aravanis and hijras from Singapore, Malaysia, and all over India attend the festival. …show more content…

Aravan festivals in Tamil Nadu and those dedicated to Bahuchara Mata (hijras’ patroness-goddess) in the Indian state of Gujarat are among the most important in the hijra yearly cycle of public devotion. The festival in Koovagam is also a site for LGBTQ activists to support the hijra community.Among the festivals dedicated to Aravan, the Koothandavar Festival in Koogavam (also known as the Ali Festival) is significant. Male brides have been marrying Aravan annually for at least one hundred years. The presence of large numbers of hijras and Alis at the festival is considered a more recent phenomenon, perhaps since the 1970s, but the issue is debatable since hijras and other male-to-female identities have been around much longer than that, and those scholars recording the history may have chosen to ignore the presence of males who did not conform to heteronormal

Show More
Related

  • Anaya's Essay 'A Celebration Of Grandfathers'

    421 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the essay “A Celebration of Grandfathers” by Rudolfo A. Anaya, the text uses phrases and words in Spanish to convey the deep meanings of the essay: the respect and warmth the author felt toward his grandfather, and the importance of honoring the older generation. For instance, Anaya 's usage of the first phrase, “‘Buenos días le de Dios, abuelo.’ God give you a good day, grandfather,” in Spanish, not only emphasizes the importance of the phrase to him, but also relays that he carries deep respect for his grandfather (Anaya 240). This expression in Spanish is the common greeting taught to young children to greet elders or other grown adults. Furthermore, the fact that the phrase is first communicated to the reader in Spanish reveals how the phrase is important to what he is attempting to convey.

    Read More

  • Terracotta Bell-Krater Artifact Analysis

    542 Words  | 3 Pages

    Also, women's festival in the honor of Demeter and Kore celebrated by mothers and married daughters in Greek culture. More so, Athens, the first day of this festival is called Anodos in Greek meaning

    Read More

  • Literal Conception Of Calaveras

    338 Words  | 2 Pages

    3. Ofrendas. The main feature of the festival is ofenda (an altar). People usually build them in their own houses or in cemeteries. The altars aren’t made for worshiping, rather, they carry out the task to welcome the spirits back to the Realm of Live.

    Read More

  • Paoli Fall Festival Research Paper

    286 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paoli Fall Festival Parade. On September 10, the Paoli Fall Festival Parade took place. “As far as scoring is concerned - we were the ONLY band at our Fall Festival Parade - so it was easy to be in "1st Place," Said Mr. Laughlin, The Pride of Paoli Band Director. 25 to 30 years ago, many bands came to the local town parades and participated.

    Read More

  • What Is Gogol's Acceptance Of An Indian American Culture

    376 Words  | 2 Pages

    They are not happy about the way their parents live. It leads to several kinds of misunderstandings between both generations. Edward Said rightly describes the concept of cultures as something distinctive, representative of an exclusive to a certain group or nation in Culture and Imperialism (1993) so as to understand the basic problem with such terms. In The Namesake Ashima celebrates all the Hindu festivals and at the same time Western festivals for the sake of her children. It shows the mingling of both the cultures.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Feminist Lens In The Film '

    1350 Words  | 6 Pages

    1. Feminist Lens • Oppression – Indian women in this film did not receive the same treatment as men, especially when they become widows. Females as young as eight years are forced to find a husband as their families cannot not support all of their children due to their poor socio-economic conditions. However, when Indian females lose their husbands, they are often looked down upon as it was viewed as a sin for a woman to remain a widow. Widows are required to spend all their lives in an ashram, where living conditions are well below average due to a limited supply of food and other necessities.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Ancient Civilizations

    684 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Paleolithic period of the Stone Age began about 2.5 to 2 million years ago, marked by the earliest use of tools made of chipped stones. The Paleolithic period ended at different times in different parts of the world. The Neolithic age is the period of human culture that began about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the launch of farming and the domestication of animals, the development of crafts, and the making of polished stone tools. During the Stone Age, civilization had not yet begun.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Saira Shah's 'Longing To Belong'

    488 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Longing to Belong”, Saira Shah gives you a look into the life of a 17 year old girl longing to understand her parents heritage and trying to fit into a culture that is so much different from what she knows. Having a father who originates from Afghanistan and a mother who originates from India. Saira wants to learn the culture of her father’s afghan routes. The author feels the only way in to learning is by being betrothed into an arranged marriage. The author states that her uncle in seeing “two unmarried” daughters in the company of a chaperone visiting his home, concludes that they were sent to be married.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Rudolfo Anaya's A Celebration Of Grandfather

    572 Words  | 3 Pages

    Respect is defined as “relation or reference”. In the story, “A Celebration of Grandfather,” by Rudolfo Anaya, he shows his relationship between his grandfather and him. The relationship was good because he still remembered the times he spent with his grandfather even though he passed away. His grandfather taught him to be respectful to his elders. The theme of this story is a person always has to show the respect to his or her elders.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: The Ancient American Culture

    714 Words  | 3 Pages

    Salmon, scarlet, and sapphire saris are elaborately wrapped about the married women of the nation. Hindu Shrines to one of the 330 million gods dot the landscape, ranging from a few inches tall to well over a hundred feet tall. These statutes and cathedral-like-temples are often elaborately decorated to depict the gods whom Hindus believe are the forces in power. Many popular holidays surround these gods. Holi, the festival of color, is celebrated by throwing colorful powder and water each other in celebration of spring.

    Read More

  • Inanna And Gilgamesh Essay

    692 Words  | 3 Pages

    The myth of Inanna and The Epic of Gilgamesh show a change in society in the Ancient civilization of Uruk. In the myth, Inanna, females played a more primary role and were seen as equals to men. Inanna is the Goddess of the Earth and Heavens. In the myth, The Epic of Gilgamesh, men’s roles played a more primary role than women’s. Gilgamesh is the King of Uruk and is a strong warrior.

    Read More

  • Funny Boy Shyam Selvadurai Analysis

    821 Words  | 4 Pages

    By implementing the narrative voice of a young boy, Selvadurai utilizes the backdrop of Arjie’s innocence to introduce the idea that conflicting ideals can lead to confusion and alienation. As someone who has never quite fit the mold of masculinity, Arjie has always felt an underlying sense of helplessness and discontent with external norms. As a child, he would often play with the girls rather than the boys, one of his favorite activities involving his dressing up as a bride. When his parents discover this, they strongly discourage this “funny” behavior, coercing him into trying activities considered more masculine,

    Read More

  • Cultural Themes In Monsoon Wedding

    1297 Words  | 6 Pages

    In an article authored by Urvashi Agarwal on the role of females in Indian culture, she even points out the difference in emotions between the birth of a girl and boy: “sohras – the joyous songs of celebration sung at the birth of a child in the Hindi-speaking belt – are almost never sung for newborn daughters. Indeed, many sohras express the mother’s relief that this has not been the case and her worst fears have been proven to be unfounded” (Agarawal). This indifference towards females acts a specific example that shows undoubtedly that they are seen below men in the Indian hierarchy. In most conflicts involving an Indian family, it is safe to say that there is a presumption that the person higher up in social status, or in the case of Monsoon Wedding, the older and male Tej, would have the benefit of the doubt over a young girl like Ria. In addition, Lalit and the family were tremendously indebted to Tej, as he not only offers to pay for Ria’s entire American college education, but for the wedding as well.

    Read More

  • The Hijras In Serena Nanda's Neither Man Nor Woman

    853 Words  | 4 Pages

    Serena Nanda 's Neither Man Nor Woman is an ethnographic study about the lives of Indian men known as the hijras. Through interaction with the hijras and her study of Indian culture, Nanda provides a glimps into a unique society and lifestyle. Nanada goes into specific detail about the lives of hijras beginning with the process to become a hijra, their lives and their treatment and placement within Indian culture. Nanda's defines the hijras as “...the name given to a full-time female impersonator who is a member of a traditional social organization, part cult and part caste, of hijras, who worship the goddess Bahuchara Mata.

    Read More

  • Essay About Feast Days

    1205 Words  | 5 Pages

    *** TABLET TO THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES “O ye heralds of the Kingdom of God: A few days ago an epistle was written to those divine believers, but because these days are the days of Naw-Ruz, you have come to my mind and I am sending you this greeting for this glorious feast. All the days are blessed, but this feast is the national fete of Persia. The Persians have been holding it for several thousand years past. In reality every day which man passes in the mention of God, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and calling the people to the Kingdom of God, that day is his feast.

    Read More

More about Essay On Aravan Festival

Open Document