Padma Shri award presented to folk artiste Manjamma Jogathi

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday presented Padma Awards for the year 2021 to various personalities, including folk artiste Manjamma Jogathi.

Matha B Manjamma Jogathi is a transgender folk dancer of Jogamma tradition and the first transwoman president of Karnataka Janapada Academy. Wearing purple colour Ilkal saree, she blessed the President in traditional style before getting award amidst applause from audience.

A native of Vijayanagar district, Manjamma practised and single-handedly popularised rural folk arts for many years. She mastered the Jogathi dance and folk songs and Kannada language sonnets in praise of various female deities.

Padma Bhushan for B M Hegde

The President also conferred Padma Vibhushan on renowned cardiologist, professional educator and author Dr Belle Monappa (B M) Hegde.

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A native of Udupi district, Hegde has authored several books on medical practice and ethics. He was conferred the Padma Vibhushan for his work on medicine. He has published over 280 research papers both in India and abroad.

Other Padma awardees

The President presented Padma Bhushan to Jnanapith awardee Chandrashekhar Kambara. Poet, playwright, folklorist and film director in Kannada, Kambara is also at present serving as the president of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi.

K Y Venkatesh, Indian para-athlete and shot putter from Bengaluru, was given Padma Shri award. He won his first gold for India in the shot put in 1999 in Australia. In 1994, he represented India at the 1st International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Rangasami Lakshminarayan Kashyap, an applied mathematician and a professor of Electrical Engineering at Purdue University, was given Padma Shri award. Padma Bhushan award was also given to popular singer K S Chitra.

Playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. His son S P Charan received the award.

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