Sambhali Trust Hosts Acharya Tripathi on Rights Dialogue
On October 27, 2025, Sambhali Trust’s Garima Project hosted an important Dialogue on Gender Equality and Transgender Rights in Jodhpur.
The event featured Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Dr. Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi. She is a nationally recognized leader in India's transgender rights movement, also celebrated as a dancer and spiritual figure. The title Acharya Mahamandaleshwar means she is the chief religious preceptor of the Kinnar Akhada, giving her a major spiritual role within the Hindu faith.
Dr. Tripathi was a key petitioner in the landmark 2014 Supreme Court case that legally recognized the 'third gender' in India. She was also the first transgender person to represent the Asia-Pacific region at the United Nations in 2008.
Dr. Tripathi delivered a powerful message stating that a truly empowered society demands rights, dignity, and opportunity for every person. She stated a core principle true social empowerment comes when every person receives rights, dignity, and opportunity. She emphasized the community needs fundamental rights access to education, employment, and self-reliance not just sympathy.
Sambhali Trust successfully organized this event with support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) and the Rajasthan Police's "Smile Project". Govind Singh Rathore, the Trust's founder, spoke about Sambhali’s seventeen years of dedicated work for marginalized people.
Key community leaders from the Garima Project, including Kanta Bhua and Dakhu Bhua, attended. They shared their personal stories and championed their community. Kanta Bhua, head of Jodhpur's Kinnar community, expressed thanks for the platform. She noted the event allowed their voices to be heard and respected.
The day concluded with folk dance. The Garima Project participants performed, showcasing the community's rich culture and inner strength. This performance affirmed the movement for equality is strong and moving forward.
The dialogue and Sambhali Trust's work received coverage in local media, including Savera Rajasthan and other Jodhpur newspapers.
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