Sambalpur: While the participation of the third gender in the wedding procession of Lord Shiva during Sital Sasthi is an age-old custom, going a step further in inclusivity, two festival committees have decided to organise fashion shows for transgenders on Sunday.
Transgenders participate in the Sital Sasthi procession as dancers and performers due to a combination of cultural, religious and social reasons.Among several beliefs, transgender performers are often considered to bring good luck and blessings. Their presence in the procession is believed to invoke divine blessings for the success of the festival.
A member of Gupteswar Baba Sital Sasthi Committee in Daleipara area, said, “The objective is to give the transgender community better visibility. Transgenders coming to perform at procession of small committees do not get much visibility. It is an effort to make them stand out from the usual crowd.”
He added, “Around 100 members of the third gender are expected to participate. They will show their own creativity in dressing up and the winner will be given a token of appreciation. The show is scheduled on Sunday evening at Gangadhar Mandal.”
Sitleswar Baba committee of Badabazar area are organising a similar event on Sunday evening at Samaleswari Mandap. Buddhadev Pradhan of the cultural wing of the committee said, “Around 30 members of the community will participate in the show from across Odisha and neighbouring states.”

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