Kinnar Akhara defies convention, takes holy dip at Magh Mela in Allahabad

Lucknow: The Kinnar Akhara, the lone religious sect of transgenders, finally had its way on Tuesday when its members took the holy dip on Tuesday on the occasion of “Mauni Ama-wasya” at the Magh Mela in Allahabad.

The transgenders had taken a holy dip at Sangam on Monday on the occasion of “Makar Sankranti” too.

Acharya Laxmi Narain Tripathi, the head of the Kinnar Akhara, told repo-rters on Tuesday, “We are here for a purpose and we have fulfilled the same by taking a holy dip.

“There are some people (read Ak-hara Parishad) who refuse to recognise us or accept us, but that is a way of life for us. We will continue to fight for our rights.”

It may be recalled that the Akhara Parishad, the apex body of akharas, had refused to recognise the Kinnar Akhara and, thereafter, the mela officials denied separate space for the Kinnar Akhara in the mela township.

“We had requested the mela authorities to allocate land for our Akhara but the same was declined. But the officials cannot prevent us from coming for the Magh Mela... We are here to bathe on all auspicious bathing days,” Acharya Laxmi Narain Tripathi said.

The transgender chief said that their entire community was deeply hurt by the attitude of the All-India Akhara Parishad.

“There are many who try to block our path but very few who have embraced us... We will continue to strive and flight,” she said and added that the Kinnar Akhara’s decision to come to Magh Mela, despite the obstacles, was their way of telling that they will not succumb to pressures.

The Kinnar Akhara, for obvious reasons, did not accompany the other akh-aras for the holy bath in the morning, but came in a separate group in the afternoon.