From homeless to Padma Shri: Karnataka transgender folk dancer Jogati receives Padma Shri

Transgender folk dancer Matha B Manjamma Jogati from Karnataka received the Padma Shri award for her contribution to folk arts from President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday at the 2021 Padma Shri Award Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The 64-year-old Jogati amused the audience by performing a greeting gesture with the pallu of her saree and hands to Ram Nath Kovind when she went to collect the award.

Jogti Nritya is a folk dance from North Karnataka. Jogati is the first transwoman to become the president of the Karnataka Janapada Academy, a top institution for folk arts in Karnataka.

The road to Padma Shri had not been easy for Jogati. Life offered her different ordeals, the ultimate her family pushing her out of her home. At once such hardest moments of life when she was contemplating death, she met a father-son duo performing a folk art form. The father sang a folk song and the son danced while balancing a pot on his head.

Jogati approached them and enquired more about it. That was the turning point of her life. She learnt the art form and started performing.

Jogati was also awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava award in 2010. Her life story has been included in the syllabi for the Bachelor of Arts course at Karnataka Folklore University and Karnataka State Women's University.

This year, Padma Vibhushan was awarded to seven people, ten received Padma Bhushan and 102 received Padma Shri awards. Out of the 102 Padma Shri awardees, 29 are women, 16 are posthumous awardees, and one transgender awardee.