What Gives Them the Right?: An Exploration of Folklore and Hijra Identity

A. K. Ramanujan Ardhanarisvara Arjuna assert audiences Ayodhya Bahuchara Mata Bahucharaji Bastipore Blackburn blessings Brahma Brihanalla Busby caste castration chapter connection creation creative ascetic creative power cultural demonstrate devotees Dharwadkar 1999 Doniger emasculation familiar Flueckiger folklore in India folklore repertoire Folktales function gender identity genre Gujarat hijra community hijra identity hijra informants hijras find Hindu India Hindu mythology Hindu society important impotent male Indian folklore Indian society intertextuality Kamladevi king larger community larger Hindu larger social legitimacy legitimize liminal lives Mahabharata mainstream maintain Mother Goddess myth Nanda Nanda's informants Narayan narrative nirvan non-hijra O'Flaherty Oral Epics Pandavas Pattanaik 2002 periphery pieces of folklore Rama Ramanujan in Dharwadkar Ramayana relationship religious ritual castration ritual performers ritual role sanctioned sexual share Sharma Shiva social existence social identity social world story storyteller Stuart H tale telling temple texts themes third gender traditional understanding unique University of Wisconsin-Madison Vishnu woman women worship