Thu Mar 13 13:26:23 UTC 2025: ## Thiruvananthapuram Pongala: Transgender Community’s Growing Visibility
**Thiruvananthapuram, March 13, 2025** – The annual Pongala festival in Thiruvananthapuram saw a significant and visible participation from the transgender community this year. A group of transgender devotees, observed offering prayers in a quieter location near the Government Ayurveda College, highlighted the community’s increasing presence in public life.
While many chose less conspicuous locations to participate, possibly due to past societal discrimination, one member, Kunjatta, spoke to *The Hindu*, emphasizing the support system within their community and the improved situation compared to previous years. Kunjatta noted a larger turnout of transgender individuals at various Pongala celebrations across the city.
Sheetal Shyam, a member of the State Transgender Justice Board, cited a 2015 estimate of at least 4,000 transgender people in Kerala, a number likely to have increased in the past decade. Shyam attributed the growing visibility to the success of government empowerment schemes launched in 2017, allowing transgender individuals to more openly express their identity. The migration of transgender individuals from rural areas to urban centers like Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, seeking less discrimination and better job opportunities, has also contributed to their increased public presence. Many prefer to live in supportive groups after facing ostracization elsewhere.
First Piper 