From the Fringes to Center Stage

Abstract

Abstract This chapter focuses on an understudied group of individuals called the hijṛās within the larger world of Hindu Śākta tantra. Hijṛās in India is a collective term used for a group of people with a variety of temperaments, personalities, sexual needs, gender identities, cross-gender behaviors, and levels of commitment. Since 2016, there has been a concerted effort by the hijṛās to rebrand themselves as Kinnars. And with this new identity, they are taking on more of an authoritarian role, especially in the space of fertility rituals. This is a significant shift from being part of private ritual spaces to becoming ritual specialists. This transfer of power and authority will be brought to light by mapping the shifting currents in Kāmākhyā, a temple in the Indian state of Assam.