Saroj stays with her 'husband' Raju, a former gangster, who had married her as a symbol of respect after she had handed him over to police for his wrong deeds. Saroj says her family is now complete, after the arrival of a baby girl.

"Earlier people used to see me with doubts and disrespected my dignity. But ever since Raju married me, I was getting respect fro everyone.

The only thing that was missing from our family was a child but with the arrival of this baby, our family seems to have been completed. Now, I am really very happy," said Saroj, a eunuch.

Saroj is a popular figure in the city after she unsuccessfully contested the recent mayoral elections.

"The society should learn something from Raju and Saroj. It is a very nice thing," said Rekha, another eunuch.

Battling social boycott eunuch are living in extreme penury and being exploited and victimized by middlemen, pimps and contractors, who lease them out to self-styled event managers.

Eunuchs also known as "hijras" in India are mostly men castrated at puberty but are referred to as "she." There are no official estimates of India's hijras population, but unofficial estimates peg the number at around 500,000.

They normally make a living by collecting cash "gifts" from people on auspicious occasions. Groups of hijras dressed in colourful saris with heavy make-up and gaudy jewellery often turn up uninvited at wedding parties and leave only after receiving generous cash donations.