Padma Shri to transgender folk dancer: Manjamma Jogti of Karnataka greets the President in a unique way, Durbar Hall erupts with applause

Transgender folk dancer Manjamma Jogti has received the Padma Shri award this time. Manjamma, who has become an inspiration to many, is also the first transgender president of Karnataka Janpad Akademi. While receiving the Padma Shri award, Manjamma greeted President Ram Nath Kovind in a unique way. Seeing this, the Durbar Hall erupted with thunderous applause.

This year’s list of Padma awards includes 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri awards. Of these, 29 awardees are women, 16 posthumous awardees and Manjamma is the only transgender awardee.

Who is Manjamma Jogti?
Manjunatha Shetty (Manjamma Jogti) was born in the 1950s in Kallukamba village in Bellary district of Karnataka. In 2006, Manjamma Jogti was given the Karnataka Janapada Akademi Award. Then in the year 2010 Karnataka Rajyotsava Samman. Today she is the first transgender president of ‘Karnataka Janpad Akademi’.

Till now only men were elected to this post. This academy was formed in the year 1979. The work of this institution is to promote folk art in the state.

Manjamma Jogti’s real name was Manjunath Shetty, which was changed after initiation.

When brother tied him to a pillar and beat him
When Manjunath started going to school, his body language and lifestyle were like that of girls. He liked being with girls. Playing and dancing with them too. He would often tie a towel around his waist and feel as if it was a skirt, not a towel.

Manjunath’s brother felt that his mother had come upon him. To take down the mother, he tied Manjunath to a pillar and killed him a lot. He was taken to the doctor and then to the priest. The priest said that it has divine power.

Manjamma Jogti became like this from Manjunath
The story of Manjunath becoming Manjamma Jogti is also not easy. After showing the doctor and the priest, the family was now convinced that Manjunath had transgender qualities. The parents took Manjunath to the Huligeyamma temple near Hospat in 1975. Here initiation is given to make jogappa. Jogappa or Jogti, is a trans person who considers himself married to Goddess Yellamma. They are devotees of Goddess. Goddess Yellamma is known as Renuka in North India.

Manjunath’s udara was cut for initiation. Udara is a string tied below the waist of boys. After cutting the udara, mangalsutra, skirt-blouse and bangles were given. From here Manjunath got a new name – Manjamma Jogti.

Manjamma Jogti was born in the 1950s in Kallukamba village in Bellary district of Karnataka.

When Manjamma ate poison
In a conversation with The Hindu Business Line, Manjamma says – After taking initiation, I became Manjamma Jogti from Manjunath. Manjunath, the son of the house, was finished. The mother was in pain of losing her son. My mother kept crying in the house for many days. She used to say that I have lost my son. My son is now dead to me.

Manjamma could not bear these words of her mother and one day she consumed poison, but the family took her to the hospital and her life was saved.

Begged, also became a victim of gang rape
According to The Hindu Business Line, after recovering, Manjamma decided to leave the house. After leaving the house, they had no place to eat or live. Manjamma started living by begging. During that time he was raped by six people. The money they had collected by begging was also looted.

Manjamma felt that now what is there to live in this world, for whom to live. He again tried to choose the path of suicide, but he changed his decision after seeing a father and son dancing on the street.

There was no reply from Manjamma on the stage. She also used to collect funds for transgenders through the platform.

This is how Manjamma’s Jogti dance began near Davangere Bus Stand in Karnataka, a father-son duo were enthralling people through folk songs and dances. The father sang and the son danced. The son was not only dancing, but was also performing his art by holding a steel pitcher on his head, without dropping it. He was also picking up the coins that had fallen on the ground with his mouth, in this state. This is the ‘jogti dance’.

Amongst all the people standing at a distance, a woman was watching them very carefully. It was none other than Manjamma Jogi. Manjamma also made up her mind to learn this dance from this father and went under his shelter. Manjamma now went to that man’s hut every day and started learning dance.

Jogti dance is a folk dance of the Jogappa people. The women who perform this traditional folk dance are usually ‘trans women’.

What is Jogti Dance?
Jogti dance is a folk dance of the Jogappa people. The women who perform this traditional folk dance are usually ‘trans women’. Manjamma Jogti is also a trans woman. They mainly live in parts of northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Seeing his passion for dance, fellow Jogappa introduced him to a folk artist. His name was Kalavva. He asked Manjamma to dance.

Kalva was an expert and Manjamma a novice. She was terrified how she would dance in front of such a big folk artist, but Honi could not accept this fear. Manjamma danced and danced very beautifully. As Kaalva changed the tune, Manjamma danced equally well. After this, Kalva started calling him for small roles in plays.

Manjamma had now become the hallmark of Jogti dance. It was he who gave recognition to this dance in the general public.

Manjamma became the identity of Jogti dance
Manjamma slowly started playing the lead. He took interest in theater and dance. Now shows started running under his name. Manjamma had now become the hallmark of Jogti dance. It was he who gave recognition to this dance in the general public. In a conversation with Deccan Herald, she says, ‘To be honest, I did not learn this dance because I had a lot of mind. I learned this dance so that I could fight my hunger. I can live my life with this.

If I had chosen to beg on the streets or become a sex worker, I would not be alive today. Jogti dance is what has brought me forward and I want this dance and Jogappa community to grow. Whatever it did for me, I can do the same for it.’ Jogappa is a trans community.