In Prayagraj, India transgender activists have found a place of acceptance at India’s Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, by offering blessings to millions of Hindu pilgrims.
Among the vast crowds at the six-week-long festival, held every 12 years, is a unique religious order known as the Kinnar Akhada—a group of transgender individuals. From her ornately decorated throne, Vaishnavi Jagadamba Nand Giri greets long lines of devotees seeking blessings at her camp.
“It is very difficult to survive as a transgender person in society, since most people cannot understand how we feel,” said Giri, one of about 100 members of the Kinnar Akhada present at the event. “As visibility increases for us, the acceptance will also increase.”
The festival, which concluded on Wednesday in the northern city of Prayagraj, has drawn an estimated 560 million Hindu worshippers, though the number is difficult to verify. Pilgrims take ritual baths in the sacred river, believing the act cleanses them of sin and helps them attain salvation. Many also visit religious camps to receive blessings.
The Kinnar Akhada, formally recognized as a religious order in 2019, is the 14th akhada in Hindu tradition. Historically, akhadas were exclusively male, composed of monks and ascetics, including naga sadhus—wandering, unclothed saints who travel from remote mountains and forests to attend the festival.
South Asia has a long history of recognizing a third gender, often referred to as kinnar or hijra. India officially recognized a third gender in 2014, but members of this community continue to face discrimination. The 2011 census recorded more than 487,000 people identifying as part of this category.
Many Hindus believe blessings from transgender individuals bring good fortune. “A blessing from a kinnar is considered very auspicious,” said 38-year-old pilgrim Mangesh Sahu. He planned to tie a bead he received from the group around his daughter’s neck to protect her from misfortune.
Despite the spiritual reverence they receive at the festival, transgender individuals still struggle for wider social acceptance. “They seek blessings from a transgender person, but they will shun an individual like me in their family,” Giri said.
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