BENGALURU: Transgender folk dancer Manjamma Jogati received Padma Shri award from President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi on Monday with a gesture that’s associated with wishing a person good luck.
The 64-year-old, who became the first transwoman to head Karnataka Janapada Academy in 2019, is from Ballari.
Manjamma took measured steps to reach the stage and made the traditional good-luck gesture just before receiving the award. Shunned by family for wanting to be identified as a woman, Manjamma survived a suicide attempt.
Manjamma was ridiculed many a time before Jogati Nritya became her lifeline. Jogati has been working for decades to keep the dance form and Janapada Songs alive .