On the last day of my visit to Gangamma jatara this year I decided to pay visit to the Gangamma temple in the evening. So, after a nap in the afternoon, we started getting ready for the temple wearing ghagra's and sarees for the evening. Suguna akka came along with her daughter and brought us jasmine flowers for the evening ot temple. I asked Suguna akka to bring one saree, bangles, flowers to offer to the diety Gangamma. So, she carried all that with her and asked us to get ready. We did eahothers makeup and helped each other with the dressing. Suguna akka left home and said she will join us at the temple along with her other daughters. Her daughters were wearing costume of Gangamma that evening. So, she was busy with that.

Finally we finished our dressing and headed to temple. Nishika and myself took our scooty and started little early as we were having some bangles shopping on our way to the temple and others booked an auto rikshaw to temple. I was driving and Nishika sat on my pillion and both were like two dashing women crazily driving in the traffic and while the on-lookers were looking at us with awee face. I was waiting for Nishika on the road side on my scooter and Nishika went inside the shop to buy some matching bangles. Three women came out of the shop complimented me about my beauty and I thanked them with a smile in return.

We then started from there to temple. We all assembled and waiting for Suguna akka and her children at the point which is 500 meters away from the temple. Suma( sister of Suguna akka) came along with her children and told us that Suguna akka is at the parking and will be coming. While we were waiting something had happened which no one expected that it will happen. Suddenly a mob of local trans people encircled Nisha and Nishika and took them away from us. We were all shocked and within no time they took our friends somewhere and I thought of looking for them but Ms. Doctor and my other lady friend stopped me. Charan tried to follow the mob and he failed. Everyone are continuously trying to reach Nisha and Nishika on their phones and they were not answering. Suguna akka came along with her children and we explained her all that had happened. She being local immediately went into to crowd in search of Nisha and Nishika. She couldn't found them.
After some time Suguana akka returned and said let's go inside the temple and do the darshan. We all worried a lot about Nisha and Nishika and continuously calling them. Charan came to us and shared us the good news that Nisha and Nishika are safe with other local trans. They have taken them to a local bar to giving them treat and honor them as guests as they visited their town then we all have felt very light with that news. We then went into the temple amid of all the crowd. I was really fortunate that the temple priest taken a garland of marigold flowers from Gangamma and placed it around my neck and I felt like I got the divine blessings of mother goddess. Temple priest also gave me turmeric paste and vermillion along with a lemon. A sacred lemon from this temple is considered as very auspicious.I always keep that lemon with me throughout my stay in Tirupati during Gangamma jatara. I am really very sentimental about it. I not only just enjoy my dressing but also I enjoy every piece of spiritual aspect of my trip.

After a wonderful darshan we came out of the temple we were so thirsty because of the hot weather and crowd then we had some fresh lemon soda and that was really energized to the core. Along with me Suguna akka's both the daughters were there and we were waiting at some point where as others went to collect their footwear. Many people approached to take blessings from us and many of them have taken selfies with us. A group of girls who were looking at us from a distance and feeling shy to approach us. I asked them to come and join us. Then they happily came to us and took lot of pictures. I am sure their phone memory would have been full with our pictures. I was feeling very thirsty as were standing on the road for more than 45 minutes waiting for others to come. I left my wallet in the hotel and the phone which I am carrying doesn't have UPI (Indian digital payment app) in it. I don't know one young guy in his 20's came to me and handed over a brand new mineral water bottle to me and asked me to quench my thirst. At that moment I felt that it was truly Gangamma who sent him for us. I gave the bottle to Vishnu and Nandu (daughters of Suguna akka) and after they took water then I had taken some water. I want to thank that guy but he was nowhere around.
As there was too much crowd at the point where we stand I just want to move to some point where it is little safe for Vishnu and Nandu. Being Jatara some people were so drunk and they could not handle themselves and coming on to us. So I took them next to some cops standing as part of providing security. Among those cops, one lady cop catches my eye. I just smiled at her as a greeting and she came to me and complimented me my beauty. I thanked her in my feminine voice. She said she was observing me from the beginning and thought of talking to me but due to her duty she can't move from her position.

Female Cop: What is your name?
Me: Meghana, she might have a little doubt with my less feminine voice. But I managed well.
Female Cop: She asked me whether I am a female or not.
Me: I said, No ma'm I am not female
Female Cop: Are you Trans
Me: No, I am not
Female Cop: With a surprised face, she asked me are you male?
Me: I nodded my head in affirmation.
Female Cop: Oh my God. I just can't believe that you are male.
Me: I told her, I am male and married with children. I am from Hyderabad
Female Cop: She said this is the first time she was posted in Tirupati and first time to jatara. The ritual process was strange to her. She saw meny men wearing feminine attire and coming to temple and they can be easily noticeable.
Female Cop: For us women it will take lot of time to get ready like this. How much time it will take for you.
Me: 20 minutes for makeup, 10 mins for hairdo and 15 minutes for makeup. Total 45 mins. Not more than that.
Female Cop: You must be an expert now to do it so fast.
Me: I have been doing it for many years so it's like my second nature now. I have been coming to this temple for more than 10 years now.
Female Cop: She immediately took her phone and made a video call to her husband and introduced me as Meghana who came to the temple.
Me: I said namaste to him. Didn't had anything to talk so I just smiled.
Female Cop: She told about me to her husband and asked me to show me one more time. So, she turned her mobile camera towards me and shown me.
Me: I appreciated her being the only female cop doing her duty among the full battalion of male cops. I admired her and she was happy.
Female Cop: She requested me for a selfie with her. She took around 10 pics in her phone.
Me: I asked her to take some pics in my phone.
Then my friend took photos of me and that female cop in my Phone. Everyone has come and we decided to go back to the hotel. I bid goodbye to the cop and we left to the hotel. But on our way to hotel Suguna akka said let's go for a long drive. It was around 11:50 PM. We bought some cool drinks from a small shop and patrolling cops visited there and they didn't questioned us anything. They might have thought women are very freely roaming late in the night. Then we drove on our scooty for some 6 kilometers odd and did a pit stop on a flyover. Ms. Doctor and Charan did some reels and I shot them on her mobile. Then my friend came to me and asked me to do some walk. I did it. I really enjoyed my femineity in the mid-night. I posted this walking video on my Instagram and FB as well (https://www.instagram.com/p/C9-amnYTDwH/). Please do check it out and leave your comments. Finally after all these filming of reels and all finaally we went to our hotel by 2 am. Nisha and Nishaka reached lodge safely after a memorable hospitality of their community members which neither they nor we forget in our life time.. That was panic and fun filled night ever..

P.S: Finally, with this, I am concluding my Tirupati Gangamma Jatara 2024. I posted some of my experiences in Instagram and Facebook. Please do watch them and give your valuable comments.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megha4friends/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/meghana.dixit.10/