‘One Night Only’ a play I went to see in 2018 after much insistence from a friend. I had taken a careless look at the synopsis for the play and knew that it had some Mahabharata connection.
The play was a delight, woven into the world of Mahabharata and Koovagam festival; it introduces the audience to a much lesser known character from Mahabharata. I would not delve deeper into the nuances of the play as I am incapable of doing justice to the marvelous spectacle I witnessed with words.
I would instead focus on ‘Aravan’, a character in Mahabharata many would not have heard about.
Aravan, also known as Iravan, was Arjuna’s son with one of his wives, Ulupi. Arjuna married Ulupi when he was on a twelve year exile after being banished from his kingdom for violating the terms of his marriage with Draupadi. During this time Arjuna, on advice from Krishna, travels, performs ‘tapa’ to obtain divine weapons, and makes alliances for the Pandavas.
Regarding his meeting with Ulupi, it is said that she saw him on the banks of Ganga somewhere near Haridwar and pulled him under water. She was a Naga princess who fell in love with Arjuna and offeres to marry him. Arjuna marries her, secures an important alliance and returns to the world above. He does spend one night with Ulupi which results into Ulupi boring him a son, Aravan.
In Mahabharata, Aravan is portrayed as having died a heroic death in the Kurukshetra war. However, in the Southern part of India, another story is prominently told. Aravan, when he grows up, enquires about his father and upon learning that it is Arjuna sets out to meet him.
When he finally finds Arjuna, the Mahabharata war is about to start. As per the rituals of the war, the Pandava side has to do a ‘narbali’ (human sacrifice) to appease Goddess Kali and win her favor. The person to be sacrificed must have 32 ‘lakshanas’ (moral character). Krishna and Arjuna possess the 32 lakshanas but their life cannot be sacrificed. The only other person who could be sacrificed is Aravan. Aravan, upon knowing this fact, volunteers his life. However, he has one last wish. He does not wish to die virgin.
Krishna and Arjuna find it difficult to find a wife for him since no woman would want to become a widow, the very next day they are married. After much deliberation, Krishna takes the form of Mohini (one of Vishnu’s avatars. Krishna is also known to be one of Vishnu’s incarnation) and marries Aravan.
Aravan and Mohini consummate their marriage after which Aravan is sacrificed to Goddess Kali who then blesses the Pandava side with victory.
Aravan, though a lesser known character who is mentioned only in passing in Mahabharata, is worshipped in some parts of the country and has a festival dedicated to him.
The ‘Koovagam’ festival takes place at the Koothandavar Temple in Tamil Nadu. It is the only festival for transgender and transvestites and is a fifteen-day log celebration which takes place in the Hindu month of Chaitra (April/May). During the festival, participants which comprises of transgender and transvestites marry Lord Koothandavar (Aravan) and reenact the episode from Mahabharata of Mohini marrying Aravan.
Another myth attached with Aravan is that he also wished to see the Kurukshetra war and was granted his wish by Lord Krishna who allowed him to watch the war through the eyes of his severed head. In the Draupadi cult, Aravan’s head is a common motif in temples. It is usually found in the form of a wooden, painted head which is placed either on the roof or in a corner of the temple complex.
The story of Aravan, in my opinion, is another example of how the epic has tried to designate respectable place to transgender and transvestites (or for that matter anyone who is not heterosexual) in the society.
The Broken Inkpot 