On Monday, Matha B Manjamma Jogati, a transgender folk dancer from Karnataka, was one of the recipients of the Padma awards. Manjamma, a member of the Jogamma family, was awarded the Padma Shri in the field of art for the year 2020.
She is the first trans woman president of the Karnataka Janapada Academy, a state-run organization dedicated to folklore preservation and protection.
President Ram Nath Kovind claimed in a tweet about Manjamma that she was instrumental in popularizing folk art forms in rural Karnataka, Maharashtra, and sections of Andhra Pradesh.
People have widely shared and praised a video of the folk musician receiving the Padma Shri from President Obama. Manjamma is seen stepping into the renowned Durban Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan and approaching President Kovind after her name is announced. What she did after that appeared to delight both the President and the audience. She made a special move with the pallu of her saree, which is traditionally done to ward off the evil eye.
The video, which was uploaded by news agency ANI, has received over 1.6 million views in less than 24 hours.
Source- money control