As she walked through the aisle to receive the Padma Shri, she greeted the President with a unique gesture of blessing which went viral on social media. With this one gesture and all the work she’s done through her life, she became an epitome of kindness, struggle, survival and liberation.
This is the story of Matha B Manjamma Jogathi- the first trans president of the Karnataka Board for Folk Arts and only the second transgender person ever to be awarded with a Padma Shri.
For Manjamma, kindness traveled through dance as an art form of liberation. She helped many transgender women coming from similar backgrounds in achieving their dreams and giving them a better life. Her own life however, was full of struggles. Read on to know how she became the “Matha” or Mother for people.
As she was appointed the new president of the Karnataka Janapada Academy recently, she is now in-charge of promoting folk arts in the state. She is the first transgender individual to ever head a government academy in Karnataka. So far the Karnataka Janapada Academy was always headed by males.
Born as Manjunath Shetty in Kallukamba village near Bellary, Karnataka, Manjamma has struggled through a lot of things to reach here. It all began when a teenage Manjunath explored and identified as a female.
As a child, she faced multiple hardships because of her gender identity – the family’s prejudice, beatings, abandonment, becoming a runway beggar, but she stayed kind all around and always survived through so much. In 1975, the parents took teenager Manjunath to a nearby temple in Hospet, to be considered as a Jogappa. She assumed the name Manjamma Jogathi there. Jogappas or Jogathis are mainly transpeople who believe themselves to be married to goddess Yellama.
Even after the ritual, her ordeal continued as she didn’t find acceptance anywhere. She tried to poison herself and got hospitalized. After recovering, she started begging on the roads. One day, Manjamma was robbed and assaulted by six men after which she decided to give up on life.
A ray of hope came to her life when she was sitting and watching a father son duo performing the “Jogathi nritya”, where the father sang a folk song and son danced while balancing a steel pot on his head.
She decided to learn the Jogathi nritya from them and thus began her journey with art, folk dance and living a new life with pride. After learning the dance form and meeting several people for exposure and experience, theatre and performances because a routine in Manjamma’a life. She performed, gained experience and also continued her journey of kindness through helping other people from the community. She rose to fame for popularising the Jogathi nritya on stage and showcasing it to the larger masses.
Calling art as her true “God”, Manjamma’s story also has a place in school and college curriculums of the Karnataka board. She was also awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India.
The message that Manjamma Jogathi wants to spread is simply of acceptance and request. She is an inspiration to many and her passion for the Jogathi art form drives her kind behaviour towards making the lives of transpeople respectful.
She is the true example of survival, queer courage and staying dedicated to art, Her story is an example for many. She believes that through understanding her story, people will be inspired and more accepting towards the transgender community.
Here’s to more warriors like Manjamma Jogathi and their attempt to spread awareness and living with pride.
At aidbees, as we celebrate June as the Pride month, we are proud to be covering the story of Matha Manjamma Jogathi and more inspiring individuals like her, who are an epitome of dedication, courage and are working towards.
Click here for more stories of changemakers and practising kindness!
aidbees works with 50+ NGOs across 10+ themes including environment, education, health, empowerment, etc. You can support them and join us in spreading the Kindness Revolution. Click here to explore more!
