Bareilly, Jan 15 (IANS): The transgender community in Bareilly will celebrate the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22 by not accepting money and gifts from parents of children born on that day.
"As per custom, we will visit the houses of these newborns and sing congratulatory songs but we will not accept any money or gift. For us, each child born on this day is a representation of Lord Ram," said Rani, a member of the community.
"We will not ask for 'neg' (money or gifts) from these families for blessing their newborns, but will only accept sweets or whatever else they offer us," Rani added.
Another transgender Sharda, who pays the school fee of five children from underprivileged families every year, said they were sending five lamps to every house in the area so that everybody could light the lamps in their homes on January 22.
"We are very fortunate to have the 'darshan' of Ram Temple in our life. In the struggle that lasted about 500 years, many people passed away with an unfulfilled desire to see the temple of Lord Ram," Sharda added.
Explaining further, Sharda said: "When Lord Ram was going to exile, everybody in Awadh started following him, but then, on his request, everyone except the 'Kinnars' returned to Ayodhya. The Kinnars sang hymns in praise of Lord Ram and worshipped him for 14 years near the Tamsa river. When he returned to his kingdom, he was happy to see their devotion towards him and he gave them a 'vardaan' (boon) that if the Kinnars blessed the newborns by singing congratulatory songs, then the children would prosper in life."
"Today it is by the grace of Lord Ram that we give blessings to children. After January 22, we will go to Ayodhya to have darshan of 'Ram Lalla'," she added.
The transgenders also plan to gift at least a marigold flower to all children born on January 22.
They said that they will especially bless children from poor families.
The community plans to sing the devotional songs of Lord Ram on the trains on January 22, and will invite every passenger to go to Ayodhya after the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony.