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Asia
Aravan’s wedding is a semi-religious transgender event that takes place in Koovagam near the village of Villupuram in the Tamil month of Chitrai (April/May).
The festival takes place at the Koothandavar Temple dedicated to Aravan (Koothandavar). The participants marry the Lord Koothandavar, thus reenacting an ancient history of Lord Vishnu/Krishna who married him after taking a form of a woman called Mohini. The next day, they mourn the god Koothandavar’s death through ritualistic dances and by breaking their bangles.
The festival also serves as a platform to raise awareness of transgender issues in mainstream society.
Check the full story here.
Sandhia from Madurai has a woman’s body but feels like a man. She wants to be called “Raja” only.
Raja is not being accepted for what he is. When being threatened by his neighbours, he and his mother had to run.
On foot. The good road ends just outside Lamayuru however. After that it’s dirt tracks and then donkey trails. Most rivers have to be crossed on horseback or on foot. Not a joke even if it hasn’t been raining for a while.
The locals are used to foreigners but you could hardly call this mass tourism. The tourists leave enough rupees to bolster farmers’ incomes by staying on their land and eating their food, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to change the traditional lifestyle in this part of the world.
I love walking the streets of Kathmandu at festival times. So much is happening. Every moment you might stumble over something unexpected around the next corner.
I also enjoy the relaxed atmosphere around the large stupas Bodnath and Swayambhunath.
Kushti had its origin in Parthia (Persia) around 1000 BCE although there is a slightly different interpretation of it in India. Kushti wrestlers start at an early age to submit to a stringent life codex of physical exercise while developing body strength. They live off a high-calorie diet that is supposed to increase body mass. Wrestlers must renounce all worldly possessions to live only for their sport.
Kushti is linked to the monkey God Hanuman who represents strength and bravery, which is why every Akhara (school) has a shrine dedicated to him. Wrestlers pray to Hanuman regularly, for example before a match.
Check the full story here.
Total overcrowding, orchestrated chaos, like people crawling over each other on an ant heap. Some are stoned on drugs, some are just lying in the streets motionless, some going about their daily work or shopping. Old Delhi is always full of life energy.
These pictures were taken near Chowri Chowk, around Jama Masjid and at the Chandni Chowk railway station in New Delhi.
The Aasraa Trust tries to get children off the street and into education. Check their website here.
Check out the full story. There is also a video here.
Sri Lanka has a feel similar to southern India, but it lacks most of the annoyances of India. It is certainly much more relaxed and people at the bottom of the social ladder are less desperate to survive.
We stayed with a local family near Kandy who work their rice paddies in the hills. It was beautiful and serene but sleeping in the smoke of a fire at night to drive insects away needs some getting used to.
Check out more pictures in the gallery on the Photo page (see menu).
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