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As men and women across Gujarat dance the nights away during Navratri, the nine-day festival dedicated to the goddess Amba, eunuchs are pledging to stay away from drugs, alcohol and sexual abuse.
Eunuchs in Gujarat's cities, not allowed to participate in the community garba (dance) programmes, hold separate celebrations.
This year, the eunuchs in Ahmedabad are prostrating themselves before idols of the goddess, pledging to stay away from narcotics, alcohol, pimping, child abuse and sex with men.
"We are not allowed to participate in garba programmes of the common people. We have our separate programmes in which we don't permit anyone from outside our community to join us," said 60-year-old Kishori Mata, who recently contested the by-election to the Sabarmati assembly seat.
Kishori Mata, who holds an 'assembly' of 25 eunuchs once a week, said this year his sect of eunuchs in Ahmedabad decided to hold its own Navratri celebrations, tinged with a dose of morality and common sense.
They aim to sensitise fellow eunuchs about HIV-AIDS, the harmful effects of alcohol as well as the dangers of prostitution and child abuse.
Eunuchs in Ahmedabad are divided into three sects - the Akhadawala, Dholka-damaruwala and Lukata.
"Navratri is celebrated only in the Akhadawala sect because its members are Hindus who worship Bahuchara Ma, an incarnation of goddess Amba," said Kishori Mata.
Eunuchs are traditionally supposed to perform the garba dance at Bahucharaji, a pilgrimage site for eunuchs in Mehsana district in northern Gujarat, to have their wishes granted. Those unable to travel to Bahucharaji organise their own garba programmes in their respective cities.
"Eunuchs known as Dholka-damaruwala follow Islamic tenets. At every Navratri, they are invited to join us as orchestra groups. But eunuchs from the Lukata sect are shunned by the other two sects," Kishori Mata said.
Heera Devi (40) is bitter about not being allowed to participate in mainstream garba celebrations.
"Watchmen beat us up with canes if we go near the mainstream garba celebrations. People sneer at us, women and children fear us. It is better that we have our separate Navratri celebrations," Heera Devi said.
Rekha (25) also felt separate celebrations were in the eunuchs' best interest.
"The sense of gender inequality is so high among our community members that if they have close interaction with male members of society during Navratri, they either fall victim to sexual molestation or get sneered at for being eunuchs," said Rekha.
Hema (20) felt: "I would never like to celebrate any festival with men. We might get molested and it would be a grievous insult to our community identity."
Eunuchs like Kishori Mata, Heera Devi, Rekha and Hema have been at the helm of affairs during community Navratri celebrations for years now.
Kishori Mata, however, said that eunuchs too are responsible for the shabby treatment they receive.
"If eunuchs want to live with self-respect, they have to change their behaviour. Begging should never become extortion, obscene gestures must not be made," she said.
"I have heard that eunuchs are treated humanely in the developed world. We also look forward to the same humane treatment from Indian society," Kishori Mata said.
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