The Gay religious festival of Koothadavar

[Guest guest]

Koovagam, a nondescript village, about 200 km away from the South Indian city of Chennai, springs to an unusually charged life in April-May every year.

It is festival time and there are enough reasons for the world to be inquisitive.

 

This festival, called "Kuttandavar-Aravan Festival" is the only socially accepted festival in the subcontinent that is entirely dominated by 'hijras' a group that comprises transsexuals, transvestites, eunuchs and even hermaphrodites.

 

As hundreds of hijras, from all over India pour into Koovagam, the sleepy village transforms itself

into an arena of camaraderie, jubilation, sexual encounters and mourning.

 

The Kuttandavar Festival is symbolic of how ancient cultures or traditional societies accepted behaviours which modern society sees as social deviance

 

http://www.chennaionline.com/society/aravaani.asp

[Guest guest]

this mess has nothing of ancient and traditional..

[maadhav 0]

The correct title of this thread should be

"The enuch religious festival.."

 

I thin gay means one attracted to the person with same sex as his. in contrast, an enuch is one who has no sex desire/drive at all.

 

The link the pors provides says:

 

<< According to the Mahabaratha, Rajakumaran, a eunuch was born to Arjuna and Naga Kannigai. The Pandavas, decided to sacrifice a human to ensure victory in the war and Rajakumaran was the sacrificial 'goat'. His last wish was to get married.

 

No one came forward to marry Rajakumaran. Lord Krishna appeared as a female and married him. The next day he was killed. >>

 

If some one has complete Mahabharata, please verify if this is true. I doubt it.

 

 

[Guest guest]

it's not for you to judge .....

 

A contemporary festival related to Mohini takes place at the Koothandavar temple in southern Tamil Nadu village of Koovagam. This two-week festival is based on an element in the Mahabharata. The warrior Aravanan (one of the Pandavas) agreed to sacrifice himself in order that the clan could achieve a decisive tactical victory. Aravanan agreed to being sacrificed, but on the condition that he be wedded. But no father would allow a daughter to lose her virginity for a one-night marriage, so Krishna assumed the form of Mohini and married Aravanan, who died in battle the next day. In some versions of the myth, Aravanan was hung as a sacrifice, and it is also said that Krishna remained as Mohini and mourned him for thirty days.

 

Aravanan has since been deified by India's Hijra community as Koothandavar and each year, it is estimated that over 30,000 Hijra and other men who identify with the Hijra lifestyle attend the 18-day festival. Many of the participants come in honour of Mohini, with whom they identify. They tie a string around their wrists to symbolize their marriage to Aravanan, and the next day, the string is pulled off to signify their widowhood.

 

 

[Guest guest]

your explanation is in itself the demonstration of the value of this tradition... these omosexuals simply identify themselves with krsna bhagavan that becomes a "woman" bhagavan to do this particular task..

 

so they seems to be very happy to discover that also the lord is a "trans(vestite)" like them... not exactly traditional, neither vedic or religious, devotional or so

 

sahajia... materialism

[Guest guest]

You wrote "... not exactly traditional, neither vedic or religious, devotional or so ... sahajia... materialism "

 

If you are a so called devotee of God/Krsna the you lack the basic qualities of a devotee as mentioned by Krsna in BG Chapter 12 Text 13

 

"advesta sarva bhutanam

maitrah karuna ev ca

nirmamo nirahamkarah

sama duhkhasukhah ksami"

 

From your post it's obvious that you exhibit ill will to other beings, you are not friendly, kind or compassionate. You are not free from egoism, self sensed, not even minded, judgemental and have no patience.

 

 

[Guest guest]

From your post it's obvious that you exhibit ill will to other beings, you are not friendly, kind or compassionate. You are not free from egoism, self sensed, not even minded, judgemental and have no patience.

 

 

i eat also chirdren and i drink the blood of a virgin two or three times a week... but you are able also to give unsubstantiated answers.

 

i have nothing against gays or homosexuals, i am sad if they mix their gay prides wih religion... like i would be sad for any other illicit mixing... politics etc.

[Guest guest]

"i am sad if they mix their gay prides wih religion... like i would be sad for any other illicit mixing... politics etc. "

 

to bad you gonna be an unhappy soul....

whats your problem ? You want to be the Supreme Controller.

[Guest guest]

Hi, my name is Stephanie and I thought I would write you in regards to Mahabharata. Recently the National Geographics Channel aired an article on Taboo: The Third Sex (On TV: National Geographic On Assignment profiles Thai "ladyboy" kickboxer Nong Tum in The Third Sex, Friday, March 26, at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on the National Geographic Channel). In this program it decusses the hijras and the festival of Krsna. NG states that you are right. I do not if this will help you. I just thought I would write you to inform you of it.

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Thank you,

Stephanie Gardner

Stephanie_Gardner@juno.com

[Guest guest]

"Hi, my name is Stephanie and I thought I would write you in regards to Mahabharata. Recently the National Geographics Channel aired an article on Taboo: The Third Sex (On TV: National Geographic On Assignment profiles Thai "ladyboy" kickboxer Nong Tum in The Third Sex, Friday, March 26, at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on the National Geographic Channel). In this program it decusses the hijras and the festival of Krsna. NG states that you are right. I do not if this will help you. I just thought I would write you to inform you of it.

 

Thank you for your time."

 

Who's right? And what did National Geographic say about the Mahabharata?