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VISIBLE MAKES INVISIBLE Words Vineet Dhall
A tale of neither man or woman that are the face of the crowd and not the crowd. Unknown makes unloved, an interesting proverb isn’t it? Just by definition one can associate unknown with unfamiliarity, something that is yet to be revealed, or maybe something we share a complex dialect with. Through my limited experience, I have also felt how we often don’t fear the unknown, but rather what we project onto the unknown. Being Indian, my “limited experience” obviously would like to peel one such complexity that is part of the Indian fabric, but that over time has mutated into different roles and identities within the society.
The Indian trans women community commonly referred as Hijra have shared a strong lineage within the history of the subcontinent. Their history spans over 400- years and is mentioned in many historical/ religious texts. The community is a testament to the often questioned/misjudged sexual diversity that is integral yet often ignored or forgotten in the Indian culture. In this case, maybe unknown means misunderstood, and disregarded. Besides Yoga and spicy food, you might also be aware about Kama sutra. Including many other Hindu ancient literature, the Hijra community also share a significant presence in the Hindu text on sexual behaviour that was written sometime between 400BC and 200CE.
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Mahabharata and Ramayana, one of the most widely known Hindu texts, contribute to various plots of the story and with strong associations to the Hindu deity Shiva. One of his forms include him merging with his wife, Parvati, to become and androgynous Ardhanari, who holds special significance between the Hijra community. Beyond these texts, they shared various positions in the courts and ceremonies of the Mughal-era around the 16th Portrait of Hijras, in the series Hijra - Eunuchs. (Madhura Kamat)
