Manjamma Jogati : Padma Shri awardee who popularised rural folk arts 

Manjamma Jogati : Padma Shri awardee who popularised rural folk arts 

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Culture 

In news

• Manjamma Jogati is a Padma Shri awardee who is a transgender from Karnataka. 
• She has over the past many decades practised and single-handedly popularised rural folk arts.

Key takeaways 

• Overcoming personal odds, Manjamma Jogati popularised these art forms, especially the Jogati Nritya and Janapada songs, practiced in rural Karnataka, Maharashtra, and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
• She began to identify as a woman in her teens.
• She was made a part of a transgender community in rural Deccan that reveres the fiery Goddess Renuka Yellamma.
• Members of this community are considered married to the goddess.
• The community’s lifestyle and the plight of its members were highlighted in the national award-winning 2009 Marathi movie Jogwa.

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