Aravan: voluntary sacrifice, widowed Krishna-as-Mohini, Koovagam

Variant

The origin of the word Aravani is this wedding-and-widowhood story.

Tamil folk Mahabharata: a male sacrifice to Kali is needed; Aravan volunteers on condition of marriage first. Krishna becomes Mohini and marries him; after his sacrifice, Mohini becomes a widow. Other versions: Annaraki as bride; his head watches the war; Krishna brings sun and moon together a day early. At Koovagam, the Aravani (trans) community celebrate the marriage and mourn him in an 18-day festival.

Who: Aravan, Iravan, Krishna, Mohini, Draupadi

Bound to

Iravan in the Sanskrit epic: Naga son of Arjuna, killed by Alambusha same-story-other-version

Day eight: Ghaṭotkaca's rampage mirror

Places: Koovagam, Tamil Nadu

Where this comes from

regional-literary · Wikipedia: Iravan (cites Tamil texts: Parata Venpa, Villiputuralvar's Makaparatam)
folk-oral · Aitihasika (Bharathi V), The Iravaan/Aravaan folk lore

See it on the tree · All stories

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