A hijra or 'eunuch' plucking a simple one-stringed instrument during the Yellamma Festival in Saundatti, Karnataka, India
The festival taking place during in the Hindu month of Magh () is notorious for the tradition of devoting girls to goddess Yellamma to become Devadasis (Slaves of the God/Goddess), Once upon a time the Devadasis were respected for their devotion to Hindu gods, dancing in front of the idols etc., today most Devadasis end up as prostitutes. Hjras usually act as 'priests' performing the initiation ceremonies.
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Photo credit: © Rainer Krack / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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Keywords: cross, devadasis, dressing, eunuch, festival, gender, hijra, hindu, hinduism, homosexual, india, karnataka, kinnar, lbtq, orientation, priest, prostitution, religious, ritual, saundatti, sexual, tamil, tradition, transgender, transsexual, transvestite, yellamma
