Sunita, Lama (2025) Cross-Dressing in Maruni Dance Reading through the Lens of Gender Performativity, Category Crisis and Ritual Liminality. American Journal of Social and Humanitarian Research, 6 (7). pp. 1885-1893. ISSN 2690-9626

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Abstract

This paper explores Maruni, a traditional dance form from the Eastern Himalayas (Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling, and parts of Northeast India), through the lens of gender theory, category crisis and ritual performance, with a particular focus on its cross-dressing elements. Performed primarily by young boys aged 12-16 years adorned in feminine attire during festivities like Dassain and Tihar, this dance form interrogates established notions of gender identity and heteronormativity. Borrowing Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity, my study argues that Maruni dance, which emulates femininity, is nothing but a culturally scripted performance. Moving further, I discuss Marjorie Garber’s idea of cross-dressing as a category crisis that illustrates how this dance performance undermines binary oppositions, allowing gender roles to become fluid and symbolic. Through Victor Turner’s theory of liminality, Maruni is contextualised as a ritual performance, offering a transitional space where social norms are inverted and reimagined, suspending everyday hierarchies. The study positions Maruni within a broader, comprehensive context of performative cross-dressing in traditional arts, revealing it as both a locus of cultural conservation and subtle subversion. Ultimately, this research highlights how indigenous practices like Maruni can offer profound insights into the performance of gender and the socio-cultural function of ritual embodiment.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PE English
Divisions:	Postgraduate > Master's of Islamic Education
Depositing User:	Journal Editor
Date Deposited:	28 Jul 2025 05:27
Last Modified:	28 Jul 2025 05:27
URI:	http://eprints.umsida.ac.id/id/eprint/16301

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