Manjamma Jogathi

 Manjamma Jogathi

Manjamma Jogathi played a significant role in publicizing the folk art techniques or forms that are largely carried out in Maharashtra, rural Karnataka and some areas of Andhra Pradesh. She was born as Manjunatha Shetty in Bellary district of Karnataka in 1957 & holds versatility in singing, theatre & dancing. Manjunatha Shetty has had only a basic level of education, talking about his life journey, he began to describe himself as a woman at a meagre age of 15 & during that time he was made to carry out a ritual called as Jogappa, in which he got married to a god or female deity. From then on, Manjunatha shetty came to be known as Manjamma Jogathi.

She encountered various hardships in her life-penury, rape, social rejection, but as it is said that every cloud has a silver lining, she came across a son and father who trained her in the field of dance, and it was the turning point of her life. Manjamma was introduced to Kallava where she mastered the dance form known as Jogathi Nritya and soon she began performing all across the state. Every time she performed, Manjamma left the audience spellbound with her prowess, comfortably depicting a plethora of emotions- happiness, suffering & sorrow. She came to be widely known as the foremost trans woman to lead the academy-Karnataka Janapada & eventually being appointed as its president, which is widely known as the state's topmost

Manjamma promoted the important message of women's liberation, empowerment & gender roles through her performance. Her fighting spirit, "never give up" attitude is an inspiration for many people & she also garnered notable awards. She received the Rajyotsava award in 2010 by the government of Karnataka & Manjamma was bestowed with the Padma Shri by Ram Nath Kovind in the year 2021. A youngster who was hurled out of her house, personal identity catastrophe, utter struggle, made her way through all this by being honest to her art & herself. India is widely known for its rich culture, traditions & Manjamma ardently added to this endowment.