I just found this article/photo set on woophy.com this morning and I find it very interesting. Sitting at the bottom of the social Caste system, they provide blessings and curses (and a good time) to all who want them, for a price. All the while they mix up gender roles and conventions in their street performances. They have their own hierarchy of leader, teacher then student.
Much like our drag queens. But without the voodoo. Sort of.
Click on one of the article images and you’ll see the whole photo set.
(I know… get back to work.)
4 thoughts on “The Hirjas Cult of India”
You can read more about them in John Irving’s A Son of the Circus.
Gobs are nice but personally I’d hold out for stacks.
Good Boing Boing round up link fest here:
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/08/24/nj_17yearold_claims_.html
I like how he’s selling the first phone on eBay for gobs of cash.
Speaking of a caste system, I found this about the iPhone hack I think you’ve been waiting for:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070824/ap_on_hi_te/iphone_unlocked