Analysis of the Memoir, “Manjunath to Manjamma”, through the Lens of Memory and Trauma Studies

This study examines the memoir Manjunath to Manjamma (2023), which has documented and presented the cultural and lived experience of the Padma Shri Awardee B. Manjamma Jogathi from Karnataka, as a site for studying cultural preservation and identity transformation through an intersection of memory studies and trauma studies.Using Memory, Queer and Trauma studies, this article seeks to trace the culture of the Jogathi community and study her life, transformation and the wounds that led her to victory.From its selected historical and textual readings, the article will move on to examine how the memories of Manjamma act as an archive of the self as well as the Jogathi community.Despite its importance, queer studies have recently started to gain the attention it deserves.Debates regarding gender, identity, religion, and trauma are discussed in the paper.She lives and relives her life by recollecting and writing the memoir with the help of Harsha Bhatt.This paper is an attempt to show how memory acts as a tool for resistance, identity formation, trauma, and healing.Memory is an important tool for a transwoman who is otherwise neglected by society.Memory in this story is not just a record of the past but a cultural and personal archive of Jogathi.