INDIA-RELIGION-FESTIVAL-TRANSGENDER

In this photograph taken on May 6, 2015, Indian transgenders don white saris prior to departure after mourning a ritual signifying marriage to the Hindu warrior god Aravan at the Koothandavar Temple in the village of Koovagam, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Transgenders from all over India gather at the Koothandavar Temple each year during the full moon of the Tamil month of Chitrai, to participate in the re-enactment of a tale of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata and marry their hero Aravan on the night he offers himself as sacrifice, so that the forces of good can vanquish evil in battle. For that one night, transgenders believe themselves to be Mohini, an incarnation of Lord Krishna who spent one night with Aravan, before becoming a 'widow' the following day. Their symbolic wedding has a tragic end, and the next day they mourn Aravan's death through dancing and smashing their bangles in an emotionally charged ritual, before donning white, the color of widowhood in India. AFP PHOTO/ Anna ZIEMINSKI (Photo credit should read ANNA ZIEMINSKI/AFP via Getty Images)