We often don't know about happenings in our own backyards

Reading never fails to underscore how much I don't know any damn thing.  I could spend all my hours reading, not wasting time playing bridge or doing any of my "wasteful" acts, and I will still not know any damn thing.

Yet, the alternative--to not read--is not appealing either.  Yes, people who don't know anything but claim to be the only one to know it all can get to positions of power and fame.  But, I don't want to be in that universe.

Karthika Nair's interpretation of the Mahabharata is a case in point.  One of the voices that she channels is that of Ulupi, whose connection to the Kuru family is through Arjuna.  A queen of the Nagas, Ulupi has a son, Aravan, through Arjuna during his exile years.  Nair refers to Aravan (Iravan) being celebrated by a few Tamils in the Koothandavar cult.

Koothandavar? Cult?

The first result in a Google search for Koothandavar is Koovagam.

It is famous for its annual festival of transgender and transvestite individuals, which takes fifteen days in the Tamil month of Chitrai (April/May) ... The festival takes place at the Koothandavar Temple dedicated to Iruvan (Koothandavar).

Aravan aka Koothandavar, who was born from the union of Arjuna and Ulupi, is celebrated thousands of miles away in the southern tip of the subcontinent?

It turns out that Koovagam is located not far away from Neyveli, which is where I grew up!

A mere 25 miles away from Neyveli is this place where annual celebrations for Aravan are held, and I am finding out about it when I am 10,000 miles away?

Maybe I didn't know because it brings transgenders and transvestites to the temple, and the mainstream--definitely back then--did not care much about them and tried to only marginalize them?

Too many questions!

Wikipedia adds:

The participants marry the Lord Koothandavar, thus reenacting an ancient history of Lord Vishnu/Krishna who married him after taking a form of a woman called Mohini. The next day, they mourn the god Koothandavar's death through ritualistic dances and by breaking their bangles. An annual beauty pageant and several other competitions like singing contests are held.

The more I read, it turns out that there is much more to know about.  So, read and learn I shall.