'Souls of Someone': Photobook on trans women at Koovagam festival

This news is about a new book of photographs called "Souls of Someone: Myth, Magic and Mourning in Koovagam."

A photographer named Shino Cherian made the book with his friend Ram Manu Prasad.

They visited a special festival in a village called Koovagam.

At this festival, transgender women are seen as the wives of a hero from an ancient story named Aravan.

According to the old story, Aravan had to give up his life to help win a big war.

Before that, the god Krishna married him by taking the form of a woman named Mohini.

At the festival, the women first celebrate getting married by tying a special necklace and wearing bangles.

The next day, they break the necklace and bangles and dance to show they are now widows, just like in the story.

The book shows their joy and their sadness, and one woman told the photographer she is "a queen just for this day" and will be neglected again tomorrow.

The book is a gentle, respectful look at real people's lives and feelings.