The 18-day Koovagam festival in southern India attracts over 100,000 transgender women for rituals rooted in ancient poetry, providing a rare space for celebration and community. The gathering takes on heightened significance amid recent changes to India's gender recognition law.
Guardian Global Development · Tuesday, 12 May 2026
The annual gathering at Koovagam is rooted in an ancient poem. Five trans attendees talk about what the event means to them in light of a controversial change to the country’s gender recognition lawThe summer air is thick with dust, sweat and the scent of jasmine. In Koovagam, in southern Tamil Nadu, more than 100,000 people have gathered for one of India’s most distinctive festivals. Transgender women from across India, arrive in bright silk saris and gold temple jewellery, their hair oiled and braided with flowers.For nearly 18 days, the little town swells into a city of devotion, culminating in rituals that blur the boundaries between myth and reality.The Koovagam festival pageant winner displays her rings Continue reading...
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