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| Raju (Jogta). |
‘Jogtas’ are the other form of Third Gender. This tradition
was started in Karnataka and later on it got vast. These people are devotees of
Goddess Yellamma (Renuka). As per their tradition rules these people are slaves
of Goddess Yellamma, they have to spend their whole life in worshipping her.
The male are known as Jogta & females are known as Jogtins.
The traditional history of this community was revealed by
Raju.
Raju, born in Mumbai, Dockyard Road. He follows this Jogta
Community. He stays with his family (father, mother, 1 brother, 1 sister.) in
Mumbai. Raju says, he was declared as Jogta by his mother when he was 16! She
said Raju’s bladder was bleeding and thus he was accepted as Jogta by Godess
Yellamma. Even he accepted it as a truth of his life!
The traditional belief of this community is if a female
finds a deadlocks in her hair so she is declared as Jogtin, Female slaves of
Goddess & if a male’s penis starts bleeding then it is believed as that
male is going through menstruation, they are declared as Jogta.
Raju says, he gets possessed by Goddess Yellamma’s soul when
devotional
Raju says, he is happy with his life because this is what he
was been taught from the start of his life. He feels proud because according to
their belief Goddess Yellamma chose him in this community to serve her.
Even though, Raju believes in this community his thoughts
are modernised. He says, if you are declared as a Jogta then too you got a
right to oppose them if you are not ready to be so; like how he did. He
accepted just because it was right according to him but it’s not necessary to
be same for all.
So, this was another sweet & knowledgeable conversation
with Raju.
