Transgender folk dancer Manjamma Jogati receives Padma Shri | Watch
Manjamma Jogati, the first trans-president of the Karnataka Janapada Academy was presented the Padma Shri by President Ram Nath Kovind during a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday presented the Padma Shri to Manjamma Jogati, the first trans-president of the Karnataka Janapada Academy, for her contribution to the arts.
A video of the ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday is going viral.
In the video, Manjamma Jogati can be seen walking towards the President to receive the prestigious civilian honour.
As Jogati approaches him, Jogati makes a gesture that many on social media say was to wish President Kovind luck.
#WATCH | Transgender folk dancer of Jogamma heritage and the first transwoman President of Karnataka Janapada Academy, Matha B Manjamma Jogati receives the Padma Shri award from President Ram Nath Kovind. pic.twitter.com/SNzp9aFkre — ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2021
The gesture was met with loud applause from the audience, which comprised Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, PM Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among others.
Referring to Jogati, a tweet by Rashtrapati Bhavan said that she has been instrumental in popularizing the folk art forms practised in rural Karnataka, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
READ: Padma Awards 2020, 2021: Full list of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri recipients
Who is Manjamma Jogati?
In her 60s, Matha B Manjamma Jogati is a folk dancer. Manjamma Jogati has mastered several art forms, including Jogati Nritya and Janapada songs. Jogati is also known for singing spell-binding sonnets in Kannada in praise of female deities.
Born in a village near Bellary in Karnataka as Manjunath Shetty, Manjamma Jogati has identified as a woman ever since childhood. Jogati's family took the child to the Huligeyamma temple near Hospet, where Jogati was initiated as a Jogappa.
The Jogappa is a community of transpersons who dedicate themselves to the service of Goddess Renuka Yellamma. As per folklore, members of the Jogappa community are considered married to the goddess.