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Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow
Hundreds of eunuchs from different corners of the country have converged on the town of Rath in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh to participate in a rally on Thursday.
The rally is the main event of a unique 20-day all-India meeting of eunuchs that began on June 9.
Speculation is rife that the eunuchs may announce the formation of a national party at the rally.
Forty-five-year-old local eunuch guru Naseem said, "There are at least 1,500 eunuchs from India, Pakistan and Nepal."
She told rediff.com that such an event was being held in this town after a gap of 700 years.
Naseem said Rath has a special significance for eunuchs as Arjuna, a character in the epic Mahabharata, spent his 13th year in exile in Rath as a eunuch.
Although there is no evidence, this story is widely believed by the people of Rath.
The meeting has three star attractions -- Shabnam Mausi, the first eunuch legislator, and mayors Asha Devi and Hirabai of Gorakhpur and Jabalpur, respectively.
They will chart out a political agenda as the eunuchs have plans to field a few candidates in the forthcoming assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.
Recent years have seen the eunuchs make their presence felt in the political arena and many like Naseem believe they are destined to rule.
Justifying her belief, Naseem says, "When Lord Ram parted with the people of Ayodhya on the banks of the River Saryu, he told all men and women to return. But when he came back, he found the eunuchs still waiting for him. Impressed, Ram said they would rule in Kaliyug."
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