Aravan

Aravan, sometimes transliterated Iravan, is a name with mythological and cultural significance in South Asia. In Hindu tradition, Aravan is associated with the Mahabharata as the son of Arjuna and Ulupi, a Naga princess. He is depicted as a warrior who participates in the Kurukshetra War and is described in some tellings as sacrificing his life for the outcome of the conflict. The specifics of his fate vary across regional retellings.

In Tamil and related South Indian traditions, Aravan is venerated as a deity and figure of ritual significance. The Aravan myth is central to the Koovagam festival in Tamil Nadu, a major cultural event that involves participants from the transgender community and others who identify with the myth. During the festival, devotees reenact the marriage of Aravan to Krishna (in his Mohini form) and his subsequent sacrifice. The rites are interpreted within local priestly and community frameworks as a way to express devotion, gender identity, and renewal.

Scholarly and journalistic descriptions emphasize that Aravan’s stories illuminate intersections of myth, gender, and ritual in South Asia. The festival and related practices are noted for their visibility of gender diversity and for their place within Hindu devotional traditions, rather than for any single fixed doctrinal interpretation.

Beyond myth and ritual, Aravan is also used as a given name in parts of South Asia and appears in various cultural references, reflecting the enduring resonance of the figure in regional imagination.