Its members will organize their own festival in Kolkata in the fifth year of 2022
Its members will organize their own festival in Kolkata in the fifth year of 2022
Kolkata’s transgender community is gearing up to celebrate its Durga Puja for the fifth year in a row.
“During Durga Puja, transgender people prefer to remain hidden for fear of ridicule and bullying. They are never included in ceremonies, but are targeted when spotted. It has become a mental health issue. So we decided to do our own Durga Puja,” said Ranjita Sinha, director of the Transgender/Hijra Association in Bengal Hindu,
“During this period, we try to enjoy as much as we can – we pray, cook, eat and get other marginalized people to enjoy the festival as well. People who are transgender Being thrown out of their homes, they can take shelter at the feet of Maa Durga,” said Ms. Sinha.
The worship of the community lasts for all nine days of Navratri and the idol that is worshiped is that of Ardhanarishvara – a fusion of Shiva and Durga – which is not immersed after the festival is over. For the first three years, celebrations were held at the association’s office on Gokhale Road under the banner of Gokhale Road Bandhan, but last year the venue shifted to a new central government-built shelter in Mukundapur.
own priest
“Even the priest is always one among us. They are trained in the conduct of rituals for 15 days before the festival begins. The participants in the ritual include street children, acid attack victims and people living with HIV,” she said.
According to Ms. Sinha, since 2022 is her fifth year of Durga Puja, a new idol is being worshiped alongside the existing one. After the festival, the old one will be preserved at his office on Gokhale Road.
“This year, the state government has increased the grant by ₹10,000 (from ₹50,000) for puja committees. This should make things easier for us, but we rely primarily on donations from members of our community – the people you see begging at traffic signals. They also want to be a part of the joy that grips the city during Durga Puja, just that no one indulges them,” she said.