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Manjamma Jogathi: A tale of transformation
The first trans woman to be named the president of Karnataka Janapada Academy, she has broken several other records.
Manjamma Jogathi from Karnataka is a theatre artiste who embodies several skills and even more characters, both female and male, on the stage.
The first trans woman to be named the president of Karnataka Janapada Academy, she has broken several other records. She was conferred the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of the country, for her contribution to folk art in 2021.
Invited to ‘Deshaj’ organised by Son Chiraiya as one of the special guests, Malini Awasthi, secretary, Son Chiraiya gave an honorarium of ₹1 lakh to Manjamma which she usually gives to a woman achiever every year in the memory of her mother.
“I am truly thankful for the honorarium primarily because every year it is given to a woman and getting that validation as a woman from someone like her (Malini Awasthi) was very special,” she said.
Born Manjunatha Shetty, Manjamma said she always had an affinity with dance. She joined a Jogati group when they spotted her at 23 years. On her first trip to Lucknow, she not only attended ‘Deshaj’ on both days, she also made a trip to Ayodhya to offer her prayers.
Now in her 60s, Manjamma realised very early in life that although she was born a male, she identified herself far more with women.
“But my family would not accept me. They said it was fine if I was a male, a female or even handicapped, but the life of a trans person was something they could not accept,” she recalled.
Growing up, she sold ‘Idlis’ and tutored children to earn money. “Some would pay me ₹7 or 8, others who did not have money gave me grains and some others simply had blessings,” she said.
Recently, she was chosen by the state election commission of Karnataka as the poll icon to encourage people to come out and vote in the upcoming assembly polls. “Now the story of my life is being written in books and taught in colleges,” says Manjamma with pride.
