Gender fluid and composite deities
Deities in Composite Forms
The acknowledgement and worship of androgynous or composite deities is one of the many doctrines and practices that make up Hinduism. Hindu deities adopt a variety of incarnations that blend their traits with those of other gods. Such depictions challenge established roles of the divine, as well as the unity and relationship of various divine aspects Such forms serve as reminders of how the masculine and feminine forces interact in the cosmos or serve to highlight the complexity of the divine.
Ardhanarishvara
The most popular androgenous form of God is Ardhanarishvara, a combination of Shiva and Parvati. The female half of Ardhanarishvara is Prakriti, the active energy or the primary element, and the male half represents Purusha, the principal and passive energy of the universe. The deity is typically portrayed as having two or four arms and being half male on the right side and half female on the left, equally divided from the middle, holding various attributes of Shiva and Parvati in each hand. The deity is sometimes depicted with three or eight arms. The Parvati's lion is depicted as the common vahana of Ardhanarishvara, and Nandi is sometimes shown sitting or standing next to the deity.
Vaikuntha-Kamalaja
Vaikuntha-Kamalaja, also called Lakshminarayana, is a composite form of Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi similar to Ardhanarishvara. Vaikuntha-Kamalaja is a rare form and is mentioned in a few Tantric literature. The left half is Lakshmi and the right is the Vishnu. The deity is shown with two to eight arms carrying their traditional attributes in their respective arms.
Gopalasundari
Gopalasundari is a lesser-known form of Lord Krishna, where he is shown with goddess Lalita in a composite form. Iconographically, the deity is either represented as a half-male and half-female figure like Ardhanarishvara or in an androgynous or feminine appearance of Krishna.
Krishna Kali
Krishna Kali is a form of Krishna as an embodiment of the goddess Kali. Unlike other androgynous deities, Krishna Kali is represented as a goddess with some attributes of Krishna or Krishna as a male deity with some characteristics of Kali. The deity is not mentioned in traditional scriptures. It is regarded as a more modern form that has emerged as an outcome of devotees' and artists' interpretations.
Harisankari
Harisankari, also known as Jankeshvari, is a composite form of Lakshmi and Parvati, the two prominent goddesses in Hinduism. She is also called the tantric form of the consorts of Harihara, a composite form of Vishnu and Shiva. Harisankari is shown with her right foot on a bull or Nandi and her left foot on Garuda, vahana of Vishnu. She has six heads and twelve arms holding different attributes.
Gender Fluid Deities
There have been numerous instances in Hindu epics where deities have switched gender roles to perform certain cosmic tasks. Although these forms of divinity are not common, some of them play a role in the Hindu pantheon.
Ilā
In Hinduism, Ila, the consort of Budha, the Mercury god, is a well-known genderfluid deity. Ila is a distinctive entity that can take on both male and female forms. Ila is known as Ila or Sudyumna when he is male, and Ila when she is female.
According to legend, Ila was born as a male and reigned as a king named Sudyumna. Sudyumna, on the other hand, underwent a remarkable transformation as a result of a curse. His physical appearance changed, and he was transformed into a woman named Ilā.
Shikhandi
Shikhandi is a character in the Mahabharata who has become well-known over time as a symbol of gender fluidity and bravery. Shikhandi was once a princess named Amba who sought revenge on the warrior Bhishma for wronging her. Amba had undergone penance in an effort to gain the power to defeat Bhishma, but her attempts were fruitless. In her succeeding life, Shikhandi was born a girl, named Shikandini, to Drupada, the king of Panchala. In some versions of the story, Shikhandi was raised as a boy and trained to become a warrior. He fought for Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war.
Mohini
Mohini is the female incarnation of Vishnu who procured the pot of Amrita from the Asuras and gave it back to the devas to help them retain their immortality. She is renowned for her breathtaking beauty and captivating form. She represents the power of illusion and the ability to seduce and control the senses.
As an independent goddess, Mohini is worshipped as Mhalsa Narayani in Western India. She is shown to have four hands, carrying a trident, sword, severed head, and a drinking bowl. She stands on a lying man and a tiger licks blood dripping from the severed head she is carrying. She also wears the Yajnopavita (sacred thread), shown on male deities.
Narandi
In Padma Purana, Narada transformed into a woman, called Narandi. Narandi married a sage, named Kaal Purush, and became a mother of sixteen children. His sixty children can be a symbolic representation of the sixty years she spent as a mortal.
Jumadi
An androgynous deity
Jumadi, also known as Dhumavathi, is an androgynous deity who plays an important role in the religious beliefs and practices of the Tuluva ethnic people of Karnataka's coastal districts. Jumadi embodies the blending and transcendence of gender boundaries, and their distinct depiction emphasizes the fluidity and interconnectedness of the divine forces within Tuluva culture. The deity is worshipped specifically in the Buta Kola folk tradition, which has deep cultural and spiritual significance in the region.
Jumadi is also revered as a royal deity by the Chowta royal family of Moodabidri, a town in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.
