BHOPAL , India - Three thousand eunuchs wearing garish makeup, gaudy saris, bangles and bells are holding their first national convention, a carnival of singing and dancing in the streets.

Eunuchs, despised but tolerated, have gathered in this central India city for a 10-day festival to proclaim their cult's new national guru, 65-year-old Bismillah Bi.

"I am neithi, Bombay, Calcutta, Punjab and many other cities and states, who took to the streets in a procession of song and dance.

India is thought to have more eunuchs than any other country, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to more than 100,000. Known as "hijras "in Hindi, they are increasingly active, politically organized and demanding fair treatment and equal rights.

Some are born deformed or without genitals, and some are hermaphrodites. Police say many are transvestites and homosexuals. Some are kidnapped, castrated and inducted into the cult.

Most are beggars, singers and dancers. Eunuchs still are invited to sing and dance at weddings and especially at the births of children. They also are known for threatening those who don't pay.

But this is a happy-go-lucky convention of outcasts. The convention started Monday, and no trouble has been reported, only demands for money. Organizers insist everyone present is a true eunuch and joined the group voluntarily.

They gathered here because their last nationally recognized guru, Nayak Nazjeer, died three months ago. According to the eunuchs, he died from the after-effects of the toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide pesticide plant that killed more than 2,000 people in Bhopal in 1984.

Led by a band and a motorscooter with four loudspeakers, a procession of hundreds meandered through the old city district to a park overlooking a lake on Tuesday.

Thousands of well-wishing residents showered the new guru with flower petals, while the less devout eunuchs demanded "baksheesh "(money) from shopkeepers along the route.

Haji Ganhi, 94, said to be the oldest eunuch in the parade, said she had never attended such a large convention in her life. Local press reports said it was the first of its kind in more than 102 years.

Many of the 3 ,000 eunuch pilgrims were too old to prance and sing as their younger peers did.

Many of the conventioneers stayed inside their guest houses which barred male visitors.

In India's caste-conscious society, the eunuchs are usually treated as the lowest sort of outcasts.

In the ancient days of Mogul rulers in India's princely states, eunuchs were privileged protectors of royal harems. But today most live a sordid existence, shunned even by untouchables.

Singing, dancing and begging are their traditional "better" occupations. Most live in slum communities clustered around their guru or eunuch family leader, a mother-figure.

Bismillah Bi, the newly anointed guru, called a news conference and categorically denied occasional news reports that young boys in villages were kidnapped, castrated and made to join the cult.

Sexual deformity and the definition of eunuchs has divided the community. Naznin said castrated males and transvestites are despised by natural born eunuchs, like herself.

"They are the ones giving us a bad name by engaging in prostitution," she said. "We just like to sing and dance and bless babies."