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Indian Puppetry:
Puppetry is one of the ancient forms of entertainment. The suggestive elements of a puppet being controlled by a master make it a captivating experience, while the low cost of animation and production of a performance makes it popular among freelance artists. The form gives unrestricted freedom to the artist in form, design, color, and movement and makes it one of the most ingenious inventions of mankind.
1. Origin of Puppetry in India:
Puppetry has long been of interest in India, both for education and entertainment purposes. The excavation sites at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have yielded puppets with sockets attached to them which suggest the presence of puppetry as an art form. Oldest written reference to puppetry has been found at Tamil classic Silappadikaaram was written around the 1st and 2nd Century BC. Although puppetry has found references in mythology and art due to the lack of a devoted audience and financial insecurity, there has been a steady decline in this art form.
2. String Puppets:
Puppets are chiseled out of wood and are 9-inch miniatures. Oil color is used to paint the wood to skin color and paint features like eyes, nose, etc on it Strings are attached to small holes in the hands, head, and back of the body which is then controlled by the puppeteer. Miniature jewelry is attached to give puppets a realistic feeling.
3. Different forms of String Puppets:
Kathputli - Traditional string puppets of Rajasthan are known as Kathputli, which means a wooden doll. The puppets are covered in traditional bright Rajasthani dresses. The show is accompanied by dramatic folk music. A unique feature is the absence of legs. Strings are attached to the fingers of the puppeteers.
Kundhei - These are the names of the string puppets of Odisa. These are made of light wood and dressed in short skirts. These puppets have more joints and give the puppeteer more flexibility. The strings are attached to a triangular prop.
Gombayetta - This is the traditional theatre of Karnataka. It has an influence on the Yakshagana theatre of Karnataka. Usually, the presence of more than one puppeteer is there to manipulate each puppet.
Bommalattam - Indigenous form of art of Tamil Nadu. An iron ring is attached to the strings of the puppet. This ring is worn by the puppeteer to his head. Bommalattam puppets are the largest and heaviest of the marionettes in India. Some are as tall as 5 feet in height and 10 kg weight.
4. Shadow Puppets:
These are flat figures cut of leather. Figures are painted on both sides of the leather. Puppets are placed on a white screen with light falling from behind to create a shadow effect on the screen. The figures are manipulated such that the silhouettes created on the blank screen create telling imagery.
Togalu Gobeyatta: Popular theatre show of Karnataka. The size of the puppets changes with the social status of the character. Hence kings are shown at a higher size than commoners.
Ravanchhaya: A popular form of entertainment in Odisha. The theatre uses puppets with no joints and requires skill for operations. The use of non-human puppets is also seen.
Tholu bomayatta: Shadow puppetry theatre of Andhra Pradesh. The show is accompanied by classical music and is themed around devotional tales in Purana. Puppets are larger in size and color on both sides.
5. Glove Puppets:
The puppets are worn on the hand of the puppeteers like gloves. The puppeteer manipulates the puppet using his index finger, thumbs. Performances are accompanied by rhythmic beats or dholaks.
Paavakootu: :Traditional puppet show of kerela. The influence of the Kathakali dance form is evident in these theatres. Plays are themed around Ramayana and Mahabharat.
6. Rod Puppets:
A variety of hand puppets and are popular in Eastern India.
Rod puppets are an extension of glove puppets. Rod puppets are larger than glove puppets and are supported and manipulated from below using one or more rods/sticks of different sizes. Rod puppetry is famous in the states of West Bengal and Orissa. These puppets usually are made of 3 joints. The head of the puppet is supported by the main rod and is joined at the neck and both hands are attached to the rods at the shoulder.
Some common Rod Puppets -
Yampuri - Traditional rod puppet of Bihar. Puppets are made of wood and are without joints. They are carved out of wood and are painted and dressed in bright colors.
Putul Nach - Traditional form of art in Bengal - Odia - Assam region. The puppeteer controls the puppets using a rod attached to his waist. Performances are accompanied by a musical troupe.
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𝓔𝓾𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝓛𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻𝓽 ( 𝐹𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝓅𝓊𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓉𝓇𝓎)
𝐻𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓌𝓃𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇𝓉 𝒫𝓊𝓅𝓅𝑒𝓉 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓉𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝑀𝑜𝓃𝓀𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓌𝓃, 𝒞𝑜𝓊𝓃𝓉𝓎 𝒟𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃. 𝐻𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒸𝑜-𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓈 𝒪'𝐵𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑅𝒯É 𝓉𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓋𝒾𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝓈𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒲𝒶𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓁𝓎 𝒲𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑀𝓊𝓇𝓅𝒽𝓎 𝒶𝑔𝓊𝓈 𝒶 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝒾𝓇𝒹𝑒 𝑅𝒯𝐸 𝓉𝓋 𝟣𝟫𝟨𝟢'𝓈. 𝐻𝑒 𝒹𝒾𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝟤𝟢𝟣𝟢 𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝟪𝟤.
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