Where were the eunuchs?

[Guest guest]

Here's a question for the " scholars, " or at least one for Jeffrey Kripal. I was

of the opinion (was I misinformed?) that there is a subculture in India of the

Hejras -- a sect of " eunuchs " (some have gone under the knife, some haven't).

These trans-gender beings play an important shamanic role in Indian society.

They bless weddings and births, taking away bad luck. And they keep an eye out

for their own -- when a boy child shows evidence of being girly, they appear in

his life, suggesting alternatives. (I think the days are gone when Hejras

kidnapped children, but who knows?)

 

So the question is, when Gadhadhar (soon to become Ramakrishna) had his arranged

marriage to the pre-teenaged Sarada Devi, did outrageously cross-dressed eunuchs

attend, and were they saying, " Oh, girlfriend! Bad idea! VERY bad idea, Miss

Thing! "

 

(My tongue somewhat in cheek...)

 

-- Len/ Kalipadma

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Eh, well, I'm no scholar, but my guess is that Jeffrey Kripal might

respond to your question with, " I've moved on... "

 

Much of Kripal's recent work focuses on religion (or spirituality) in

the U.S.(e.g. two books on Esalen.) In the podcast below he refers to

his " early work in Asian religion " (paraphrase.)

 

http://calitreview.com/2007/08/01/jeffrey-j-kripal-author-of-esalen/

http://smallworldpodcast.com/?p=603

 

With regards to there being (or not being) hijras at Ramakrishna's

wedding; who knows. Maybe given Ramakrishna's attitudes toward money

they thought they wouldn't get paid, and so didn't show up.

 

, Len Rosenberg

<kalipadma108 wrote:

>

> Here's a question for the " scholars, " or at least one for Jeffrey

Kripal. I was of the opinion (was I misinformed?) that there is a

subculture in India of the Hejras -- a sect of " eunuchs " (some have

gone under the knife, some haven't). These trans-gender beings play

an important shamanic role in Indian society. They bless weddings

and births, taking away bad luck. And they keep an eye out for their

own -- when a boy child shows evidence of being girly, they appear in

his life, suggesting alternatives. (I think the days are gone when

Hejras kidnapped children, but who knows?)

>

> So the question is, when Gadhadhar (soon to become Ramakrishna) had

his arranged marriage to the pre-teenaged Sarada Devi, did

outrageously cross-dressed eunuchs attend, and were they saying, " Oh,

girlfriend! Bad idea! VERY bad idea, Miss Thing! "

>

> (My tongue somewhat in cheek...)

>

> -- Len/ Kalipadma