Understanding material culture of marginalised, urban transwomen

"Some of us only have these cheap gold covering jewellery and synthetic sarees to roam around in but the confidence they afford us is immeasurable". The previous is a roughly translated statement from a transwomen whom I met during one of BIC's (Bangalore international centre) week long exhibitions in 2018. Shilpa, she said her name was, her nose pin glinting in the stretch of her smile. Shilpa had caught me stealing a glance at her gold studded ear; I usually make it point not to stare out of fear of being held guilty of mentally exoticing. "Yenna pa pudichiraka" (do you like what you see?) She said with an animated swirl of her Pallu.

I nodded enthusiastically and smiled, I was embarrassed, caught off guard and wasn't sure back then what was the 'correct' way to respond and engage with a transperson. We exchanged names and made a little banter before we strayed away. We crossed paths at the foyer again, looking at portraits of transwomen,  "Idhula naa yaaru nu sollu paapom" she playfully inquired (spot me out in these potraits), I didn't have to look too hard, her affinity for bright pinks and heavy earrings was reflected uncanny in her portrait and her attire of the day. I told her she was fishing to be noticed with a chuckle. She introduced me to her sisters, Reshma and Kavi, we were soon making crude jokes about the attractive men we spotted walking about. 

I had just come out was unsure if it was too quick of me to make a public debut, I wore an all black, a very ‘hetero-norm’ abiding outfit. We both caught sight of each other and I definitely seemed lackluster in comparison to her gold and pink extravaganza. She joked about my outfit being funeral appropriate and I retorted the local circus wanted their tent back. That day I went back to her house, it was somewhere in Ulsooru. She gave me a pair of shorts to change into; the skinny jeans had my lower limbs in more or less a tourniquet. As she was taking off her jewellery, I got to see her anjaraipetti (a multi compartment box used for storing spices) with an assortment of gold and white stone ear studs and looping, dangling gold trinkets. "All of them are covering, only the ones I'm wear now are real" she directing my attention. Shilpa was actually the first person who taught me how to wear a 'Pin-kosavam' drape, a style popular in rural Tamil Nadu. Kavi and Reshma joined us for cardamom spiced tea later on. I lost touch with Shilpa during the pandemic and I was lost, engaged in a little of my own personal crisis to think of reaching out. 

In 2020, I was working on digitally restoring old scans of Sadir dancers for my friend Donnovan who was an archivist and oriental researcher from the Netherlands. It was during this time I began to appreciate and love indigenous drapes and jewellery. Powered by my ADHD Hyperfixation superpower, I poured through countless PDFs learning about the material culture, ornaments of the South from pre-Chola times to the modern era. My phone was loaded to the brink of system failure with images of sculptures and vintage photographs. Words like Koppu, Lollaku, Visirumurku, Thanddai, Souri, Poochikoodu, Kaarai, Silambu gently invaded my vocabulary and was commonplace in the content I put out on my Instagram stories. I would forward a lot of these photos to Shilpa with enthusiastic responses. She sent me back pictures of her own collection that resembled the jewellery in the pictures.

When I took on writing this piece, I felt I was informed enough to attempt to look critical at the Indian feminine material culture we take for granted. I reconnected with Shilpa recently while scouting for an interviewee, she was happy to sit for an interview with me. The following is the interview I had with Shilpa in March 2023,

Translated from Tamil:

Santosh: Hi Shilpa, thank you for speaking with me today. Can you tell me a little bit about the material culture of the Thirunangai/Hijra community in India?

Shilpa: Of course pa. Our material culture is an important part of our identity and expression. One of the most distinctive elements is the way we wear our saris. We drape them in a unique style that sets us apart from cis-gender women. The colors and patterns of our saris can also be meaningful, representing things like our status within the community or our affiliation with a particular group.

Santosh: That's sounds interesting. What about jewellery? What kinds of jewellery do urban transwomen wear?

Shilpa: We wear a variety of jewellery, as women do, such as bangles, necklaces, and nose rings. Some of these pieces are made from gold, silver, or glass beads. Our jewellery is unique because we give importance to old designs and sometimes inherit (if we’re lucky) some rare pieces from our gurus or sisters. Usually we don’t ascribe significance to every piece, it may just be pretty, but some pieces can also have coded meanings. For example, some Hijras wear a nose ring on their left side to signify that they have undergone castration.

Santosh: Can you tell me more about the coded significance of jewellery within your community?

For example of more coded pieces, wearing a nose ring or earrings can be a way for Hijras to signal their femme nature (receiving partner). Some Hijras also wear rings on their toes or ankles, which can signify their identity as a transwoman of a particular clan. Bangles are an important accessory for Hijras. We often wear large, colorful bangles that match our mood, our identity and status within the community. Nose rings are also very important, and can have different meanings depending on the side they are worn on. Some Hijras wear a ring on their thumb or index finger to signify that they are available for sex work. Other types of jewellery can signify affiliations with certain gurus or groups within the Hijra community. The mangalsutra is a necklace that signifies marriage in cisgender Indian culture. But for us, it can represent our relationships with our gurus or partners. We also wear anklets that make a distinct sound when we walk, which is a way of announcing our presence and attracting attention.

Santosh: Are there any specific materials or designs that are commonly used in Hijra jewellery?

Shilpa: Our jewellery can be made from a variety of materials, such as gold, silver, and glass beads. We often prefer large and bold designs, as they help us stand out and express our identity. Some Hijras also incorporate traditional Indian motifs and patterns into their jewellery, we mainly go for gold as it is an investment and helps build reputation. However, gold covering pieces have diluted and consumed any sense of value. I, myself own lot of gold covering now, haha..

Santosh: What about makeup and other forms of adornment?

Shilpa: Makeup is very important to us. We use it to highlight our best features, hide manly aspects and create a more feminine appearance. We also use sticker bindis a lot, and can represent different things depending on their color and design. For example, a red bindi can signify marriage, while a black bindi can signify mourning. 

Santosh: Can you tell me more about hierarchy within the Hijra/Thirunangai community?

Shilpa: Our community has a system of gurus and chelas, which are like mentors and mentees. Gurus are older, more experienced Hijras who take on younger chelas and teach them about Trans culture and traditions. Chelas may serve their gurus in various ways, such as by performing household tasks or collecting money during Hijra blessings. This system is a way for us to maintain our culture and pass it on to the next generation.

Santosh: Thank you for sharing that. Is there anything else you'd like to add about the Hijra community in India?

Shilpa: Yes, I would like people to know that we are a diverse community with our own unique culture and traditions. We have faced discrimination and stigma for a long time, but we are a resilient and proud community. Our material culture, jewelry, and hierarchy are all important parts of our identity and history, and we hope that people can appreciate and respect them.

Apart from our above discussion, we spoke of the intersection of environmental concerns and being transgender.

Shilpa: Being clean, eco-friendly is very important to me. The earth is my mother, her soil anoints my feet and blesses my going and comings, as an urban Trans woman I see more of the state of the city on foot than most other people. Its disgusting and not at all the Bangalore I remember. Eco-sustainability/consciousness and being transgender is an important intersection to consider. The stigma attached to marginalised, non-mainstream urban transwomen are the same attached to potholes and seedy spots in the city viewed with disdain and ignored.

Shilpa and Reshma were part of an NGO 'Saffade' that aimed to produce sanitary napkins and stiched fabric products for hospital use in a sustainable way.

Shilpa: Another way in which eco-sustainability and being transgender intersect is through fashion. Clothing and fashion can be an important form of self-expression for many transgender people, but the fashion industry is also a major contributor to environmental degradation. The production and mindless disposal of clothing can have significant environmental impacts, from the use of water and energy to the release of toxic chemicals into the environment. Transgender people who are concerned about the environmental impact of fashion explore sustainable fashion options, such as clothing made from organic or recycled materials, or clothing that is designed to be durable and long-lasting. Having clothes for a long time allows us to attach memories to them and have it weaved into the quilt of memories. They also consider ways to reduce their overall consumption of clothing, such as by swapping clothes with friends or buying secondhand.

We also discussed the importance of material culture and its ability to reveal the history, identity, and social context of a particular culture or society. Material culture also plays an important role in preserving cultural heritage, representation, relation to environment and subtexts of identity. 

Our conversation revealed the need for more sustainable and equitable approaches to the fashion and the environment. By considering the environmental impacts of our actions and advocating for more sustainable solutions, we can work towards a more just and sustainable future for all communities, including transgender people.

The intersection of material culture, eco-sustainability and being transgender highlights an unique entry way into organically tackling eco-concerns while still being in touch with human reality and being aware of the interconnectedness of people and material and the sensitivity to navigate that space.

Written by

Santosh James Samuel.