Viral video: Transgender folk dancer's unique gesture before President at Padma awards

Matha B Manjamma Jogati, a transgender folk dancer from Karnataka, was among those who received the Padma awards on Monday.
Manjamma, who belongs to the Jogamma heritage, was conferred with the Padma Shri for the year 2020 under the category of art.
She is the first transwoman president of Karnataka government’s Karnataka Janapada Academy, an organisation dedicated to the conservation and protection of folklore.

President Ram Nath Kovind, in his Twitter post on Manjamma, said she has been instrumental in popularising folk art forms practiced in rural Karnataka, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh.

A video of the folk artiste going up to the President to receive the Padma Shri has been widely shared and appreciated by people.
When her name is announced, Manjamma is seen walking in the prestigious Durban Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan and going to President Kovind. What she did next pleasantly appeared to pleasantly surprise the President and the audience. She performed a unique gesture with the pallu of her saree, an act that is done to ward off the evil eye.

The clip, shared by news agency ANI, has been widely shared and has received over 1.6 million views in less than 24 hours.

Thousands of people commented on the video, appreciating Manjamma’s gesture.