Since our childhood, our family used to go to these 'Jagrans' dedicated to Lord Krishna and his beloved, Radha. It used to be fun, and the most interesting thing was that all the parts were played by boys and men as they used to dress up as women to be the gopis and Radha. Similarly, In the Jagrans dedicated to Shiva, mostly the role of Parvati was played by a man.
They used to perform on normal bhajans, but also those "Bollywood-Inspired" bhajans, which amused me most of the time. Everyone present there used to admire these performers, but only when they were performing. The concept of cross-dressing, the main attraction of the show, is appreciated only when it's done for god and rituals.
Cross-Dressing, as defined by Cambridge Dictionary, is 'the act of wearing clothes usually worn by the opposite sex'. It has been used for purposes of disguise, solace, comedy, and self-expression in current times and throughout the past.
Even though there are historical shreds of evidence regarding commoners, kings and even gods practicing cross-dressing, there's still a bizarre amount of hostility against it. For instance, My grandfather and uncle used to perform in Ram Leela as Kunti and Sita respectively in their time. However, doing the same on the streets or in their own homes, wouldn't have been accepted at any cost.
Even in Hindu mythology, Arjuna, the third of the Pandava brothers, took the form of Brihannala – an eunuch during the incognito (staying in disguise for a year) exile duration in the Mahabharata. As Brihannala, Arjuna taught dance and music to Uttara, the daughter of the King of Virata.¹ Another historical evidence of cross-dressing can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut, a woman who dressed and acted like a man and has been portrayed in statues and carvings wearing a symbolic royal beard. Whereas, when a man cross-dressed, people resist more easily. As was found out, an Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal in the fifth century B.C.E., used to spend much of his time in a palace, dressed in women's clothing and surrounded by concubines. As the news got known to more people, few of his nobles revolted. Although his cross-dressing was looked down upon as it showed feminine weakness, he fought long and bravely for two years, and before facing defeat, he committed suicide.² As once quoted by Rebecca Watson from Straight CrossDressers, “Society celebrates anything that becomes masculine and rejects anything that becomes feminine.” ³, the attitude of society towards the women who cross-dress versus the men who cross-dress is significantly contrary.
In India, those who cross-dress in the name of God are celebrated; however, those who cross-dress for themselves become the victim of ill-treatment. Festivals like the Chamayavilakku festival of Kerala celebrated at Kottankulangara Sree Devi Temple in Kollam, is an example of performing cross-dressing as a ritual for the Goddess.
During UP's Jhansi wedding season, Launda Naach is a local tradition done by performing cross-dressing. Launda Naach – a phrase that defies simple translation into English – the dance is performed by young boys and men under 25, who dress up as women and basically, go wild to the beat of the dhol.⁴ The behlol is a ritual that’s popular across UP’s Bundelkhand. A women-only event, the behlol is played out soon after the bride’s bidaai, with the women of the house joining forces in role-playing, including the role of the groom.⁵
Although, India has so many local traditions and historical crumbs of evidence with cross-dressing being the main attraction, still according to the scriptures- "cross-dressing as a woman is one of the eight evils a man must shun."
Even in the present times, the new 'trend' of genderless fashion is looked down upon by most of society. Although, it’s more socially adequate for women to use masculine products than it is for men to use feminine products. From wearing make-up to becoming a stay-at-home dad, men are constantly criticized for not being manly enough. Women in jeans and suits are considered normal but men wearing sarees and dresses is considered a sexual dysfunction.⁶
"It is strange how a piece of cloth and makeup, or an accessory can suddenly change people’s perception about someone." - Reena Rose
Back in my school days, I would cross-dress and perform in my all-boys school as Radha and other female roles. There were many other classmates and schoolmates of mine, who used to do the same, and yet our experiences were different. When I discussed the same with my mates, who used to perform as cross-dressers, I learned how they've been bullied, teased, harassed and even assaulted for playing the role of a girl. I certainly found that going through such an experience and yet blaming yourself was something very common in all cases. Cross-dressing leading to such annoyance was normalised there. Even after reporting the issue to the authorities a few times, there hasn't been a major change.
Lacking the liberty to express the inner self positively leads to suppression of emotions and feelings. Likewise, expressing the feminine as well as the masculine side of self is crucial. It impedes the suppression of certain emotions to a certain extent and permits one to grow to their fullest. External or internal factors affecting the growth of oneself shall be banished, and expression of one's self, in any form or shape, should be accepted and celebrated without judging their character or making them feel oppressed.
"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself." - Coco Chanel
¹ (source- hindu-blog.com)
² (source - LovetoKnow.com)
³ (source- reenarosedass.com)
⁴ (source - firstpost.com)
⁵ (sources- firstpost.com)
⁶ (source- reenarosedass.com)
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