KALLAKURCHI: Coimbatore’s Surya Kutty was selected as Miss Koovagam at the beauty pageant held on Monday (April 27) as part of the annual Koothandavar Temple festival in Villupuram.
The event was jointly organised by the South Indian Transgender Association, Tamil Nadu Government Social Welfare Department, and Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society, according to a Daily Thanthi report.
Nisha from Malaysia secured second place, while Ananya from Puducherry secured third place. They were crowned and awarded prize money of Rs 50,000 for first place, Rs 25,000 for second place, and Rs 11,000 for third place.
To participate in the festival, thousands of transgender persons from various parts of the country arrived at Koovagam village and Villupuram town. To entertain them, various cultural programmes and beauty pageants were conducted.
Around 40 transgender participants from places including Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Chennai, Thoothukudi, Namakkal, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Virudhunagar, Theni, Puducherry, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Malaysia, and Pune took part. They appeared on stage in vibrant outfits and walked gracefully, while fellow participants cheered and applauded them.
In the first round of the competition, based on walk, attire, and expression, 25 participants were selected for the second round, from which 15 moved to the final round. In the next stage, based on Tamil culture, walk, attire, and expression, 7 finalists were chosen. To select Miss Koovagam, the finalists were asked questions on general knowledge and AIDS awareness.
Other transgender participants congratulated the winners with cheers and affection. Prizes were also distributed to participants in cultural events.
Earlier, 10 young transgender individuals who have excelled in education and employment were honoured with achievement awards.
The Koovagam Koothandavar Temple Chithirai festival began on April 14 with the flag-hoisting ceremony and is currently underway. The ritual of opening the eyes of the Aravan deity is being held on Tuesday (April 28), and the chariot procession will take place on Wednesday (April 29).