From Manjunath to Manjamma

As a young Manjamma lay unconscious after a suicide attempt, she could not have imagined that one day she would receive a National Award from the President of India. A transgender folk artist who became the president of the Karnataka Folk Academy, her life’s journey has been nothing short of epic.

As a young boy, Manjunath discovered that he felt more like a woman, which led to him being ostracized and mocked. The transforamtion into Manjamma, a performer of the Jogathi nritya, was a testimony to her grit and determination. Jogathi nritya is a dance form performed by the Jogathi transgender community, and Manjamma became its leading proponent, popularizing it on a national level.

From being stripped of her modesty to being given one of the highest civilin honours of the country (the Padma Shri in 2021), Manjamma’s is an inspiring, heart-rending story, which she tells in this book with remarkable honesty.