I was chasing a deadline for an assignment which required for me to pitch a topic for a print story to my professor. Each missed deadline meant a -1 mark.
To my relief and amazement, four hours of useless scrolling on the internet finally resulted in story waiting to be told! This, I came across on The Delhi Walla (a favorite website among my class fellows for stories in and around Delhi).
It was about a monument in Mehrauli, South Delhi called Hijron ka Khanqahor a spiritual retreat for eunuchs, something that I had not heard of before.
What most piqued my interest was the fact that it housed the graves of the eunuchs of the 15th century. The very next day, I decided to go and check the place out for myself.
Fifty or so white-washed graves filled a tranquil courtyard — a testament of the grandeur of the eunuchs of the Mughal era. I took my time exploring each one.
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Hijron Ka Khanqah. —creative commons
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On my way back home, I couldn’t help but wonder:
If such was the kind of stateliness attached with their image in the Mughal period, what had washed away their dignity over time?
Over the next few days in the daily scheme of things, I forgot all about Hijron ka Khanqah.
Until the day my friend, Rudrani Chettri posted pictures of her transgender friend who was brutally struck by a mob on Facebook.
All the questions I had about this gender minority came flooding back. This time I decided I needed to address them. Kiran (24), a eunuch, who appears to always be delighted and comfortable in her own skin, was happy to help.
