Shemale and Indian Religion - A historic association.

[pussy+dickdenice]

"In Hindu contexts, hijras (Shemales) belong to a special caste. They are usually devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata, Lord Shiva or both. Hijra culture draws upon the traditions of several religions.
One of the forms of Lord Shiva is a merging with Parvati where together they are Ardhanari, a god that is half Shiva and Half Parvati. Ardhanari is especially worshipped in North India and has special significance as a patron of hijras, who identify with the gender ambiguity."

There are references of the shemales in the Indian Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. In Kamasutra they are referred as sex-associates. No other culture or religion has that old written history of Shemales.

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What history there is in your country about the Shemales/ladyboys?

 

[FreeOnes Shemale]

We got the blue area on the Walletjes in Amsterdam

 

[Mabvlox]

What history there is in your country about the Shemales/ladyboys?

In Italy there's a generally negative view about transsexualism, anyway also in Italy times there are changing ... very slowly, but they will change ... I hope !!!

Inside traditional Neapolitan culture there is the "Femminiello" a Italian version of transsexual for more detail and info you can read wikipage:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femminiello

But nothing also so interesting ...

 

[kumarx47]

The hijra in India is not necessarily a shemale, in the strictest sense. A shemale is typically understood to be one born as a male who undergoes a surgical transformation of his physique to a female, either partly (silicone breasts only) or entirely (genital change as well). Such a person is also classified as a hijra but the term hijra includes several other forms of sexual mutation as well. This includes hermaphrodite, one having both male and female genitals (as represented by the Ardha Nareeswari you mentioned), transvestite (cross dressers whose genitals are unchanged) and eunuchs (castrated males).

In certain liberal societies of the world such sexual mutation is a deliberate form of sexual expression or liberation undertaken by the individual to assert his individuality and live his sexual life his way. In India, however, the hijra culture (with all those variations I mentioned above) remains yet a religious institution that has little to do with sexual expression. Often it is forced, or carried out customarily before the individual reaches the age of awareness, mainly to maintain a tradition that earns income and sustains religious beliefs. Just my opinion. No offence meant. I am Indian.