Ancient
Hindu philosophers have paid
the greatest tribute to puppeteers.
They have likened God Almighty
to a puppeteer and the entire
universe to a puppet stage. Srimad
Bhagavata,
the great epic depicting
the story of Lord Krishna
in his childhood say that
with three strings-Satta, Raja and Tama,
the God manipulates each
object in the universe as
a marionette.
In Sanskrit terminology Puttalika and Puttika means ‘little
sons’. The root of Puppet is derived from the latin
word ‘Pupa’ meaning a doll. India is said to
be the home of puppets, but it is yet to awaken to its unlimited
possibilities. The earliest reference to the art of puppetry
is found in Tamil classic ‘Silappadikaaram’ written
around the 1st or 2nd century B.C.
Natyashastra,
the masterly treatise on dramaturgy written
sometime during 2nd century BC to 2nd
century AD., does not refer to the art
of puppetry but the producer-cum-director
of the human theatre has been termed
as ‘Sutradhar’ meaning
the holder of strings. The word might
have found its place in theatre-terminology
long before Natyashastra was
written but it must come from marionette
theatre. Puppetry, therefore, must have
originated in India more than 500 years
before Christ.
Almost all types of puppets are found in India. Puppetry
throughout the ages has held an important place in traditional
entertainment. Like traditional theatre, themes for puppet
theatre are mostly based on epics and legends. Puppets from
different parts of the country have their own identity. Regional
styles of painting and sculpture are reflected in them.
Puppetry has been successfully used to motivate emotionally
and physically handicapped students to develop their mental
and physical faculties. Awareness programmes about the conservation
of the natural and cultural environment have also proved
to be useful. These programmes aim at sensitising the students
to the beauty in word, sound, form, colour and movement.
The aesthetic satisfaction derived from making of puppets
and communicating through them helps in the all round development
of the personality of the child.
Stories adapted from puranic literature, local myths and
legends usually form the content of traditional puppet theatre
in India which, in turn, imbibes elements of all creative
expressions like painting, sculpture, music, dance, drama,
etc. The presentation of puppet programmes involves the creative
efforts of many people working together.
• String
Puppets
• Shadow
Puppets
• Rod
Puppets
• Glove
Puppets
In
modern
times,
educationists
all over
the world
have
realised
the potential
of puppetry
as a
medium
for communication.
Many
institutions
and individuals
in India
are involving
students
and teachers
in the
use of
puppetry
for communicating
educational
concepts.
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Puppets |
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India
has a rich and ancient
tradition of string
puppets or marionettes.
Marionettes having
jointed limbs controlled
by strings allow
far greater flexibility
and are, therefore,
the most articulate
of the puppets. Rajasthan,
Orissa, Karnataka
and Tamil Nadu are
some of the regions
where this form of
puppetry has flourished.
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• Kathputli,
Rajasthan
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The
traditional
marionettes
of Rajasthan
are known as
Kathputli.
Carved from
a single piece
of wood, these
puppets are
like large
dolls that
are colourfully
dressed. Their
costumes and
headgears are
designed in
the medieval
Rajasthani
style of dress,
which is prevalent
even today.
The Kathputli is
accompanied
by a highly
dramatised
version of
the regional
music. Oval
faces, large
eyes, arched
eyebrows and
large lips
are some of
the distinct
facial features
of these string
puppets. These
puppets wear
long trailing
skirts and
do not have
legs. Puppeteers
manipulate
them with two
to five strings
which are normally
tied to their
fingers and
not to a prop
or a support.
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• Kundhei,
Orissa
The string puppets of Orissa are known
as Kundhei. Made of light wood, the Orissa
puppets have no legs but wear long flowing
skirts. They have more joints and are,
therefore, more versatile, articulate and
easy to manipulate. The puppeteers often
hold a wooden prop, triangular in shape,
to which strings are attached for manipulation.
The costumes of Kundhei resemble those
worn by actors of the Jatra traditional
theatre. The music is drawn from the popular
tunes of the region and is sometimes influenced
by the music of Odissi dance.
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• Gombeyatta,
Karnataka
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The
string puppets
of Karnataka
are called
Gombeyatta.
They are
styled and
designed
like the
characters
of Yakshagana,
the traditional
theatre form
of the region.
The Gombeyatta
puppet figures
are highly
stylized
and have
joints at
the legs,
shoulders,
elbows, hips
and knees.
These puppets
are manipulated
by five to
seven strings
tied to a
prop. Some
of the more
complicated
movements
of the puppet
are manipulated
by two to
three puppeteers
at a time.
Episodes
enacted in
Gombeyatta
are usually
based on
Prasangas
of the Yakshagana
plays. The
music that
accompanies
is dramatic
and beautifully
blends folk
and classical elements.
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| • Bommalattam,
Tamil Nadu |
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Puppets
from Tamil
Nadu, known
as Bommalattam
combine the
techniques
of both rod
and string
puppets. They
are made of
wood and the
strings for
manipulation
are tied to
an iron ring
which the puppeteer
wears like
a crown on
his head.
A
few puppets
have jointed
arms and
hands, which
are manipulated
by rods.
The Bommalattam
puppets are
the largest,
heaviest
and the most
articulate
of all traditional
Indian marionettes.
A puppet
may be as
big as 4.5
feet in height
weighing
about ten
kilograms.
Bommalattam
theatre has
elaborate
preliminaries
which are
divided into
four parts
- Vinayak
Puja, Komali,
Amanattam
and Pusenkanattam
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| • Shadow
Puppets |
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India
has the richest
variety of
types and
styles of
shadow puppets.
Shadow puppets
are flat
figures.
They are
cut out of
leather,
which has
been treated
to make it
translucent.
Shadow puppets
are pressed
against the
screen with
a strong
source of
light behind
it. The manipulation
between the
light and
the screen
make silhouettes
or colourful
shadows,
as the case
may be, for
the viewers
who sit in
front of
the screen.
This tradition
of shadow
puppets survives
in Orissa.
Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh,
Karnataka,
Maharashtra
and Tamil
Nadu.
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• Togalu
Gombeyatta,
Karnataka
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The
shadow
theatre
of Karnataka
is known
as Togalu
Gombeyatta.
These puppets
are mostly
small in
size. The
puppets
however
differ
in size
according
to their
social
status,
for instance,
large size
for kings
and religious
characters
and smaller
size for
common
people
or servants.
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| • Tholu
Bommalata,
Andhra Pradesh |
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Tholu
Bommalata,
Andhra Pradesh's
shadow theatre
has the richest
and strongest
tradition.
The puppets
are large
in size and
have jointed
waist, shoulders,
elbows and
knees. They
are coloured
on both sides.
Hence, these
puppets throw
coloured
shadows on
the screen.
The music
is dominantly
influenced
by the classical
music of
the region
and the theme
of the puppet
plays are
drawn from
the Ramayana,
Mahabharata
and Puranas.
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| • Ravanachhaya,
Orissa |
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The
most theatrically
exciting
is the Ravanachhaya
of Orissa.
The puppets
are in one
piece and
have no joints.
They are
not coloured,
hence throw
opaque shadows
on the screen.
The manipulation
requires
great dexterity,
since there
are no joints.
The puppets
are made
of deer skin
and are conceived
in bold dramatic
poses. Apart
from human
and animal
characters,
many props
such as trees,
mountains,
chariots,
etc. are
also used.
Although,
Ravanachhaya
puppets are
smaller in
size-the
largest not
more than
two feet
have no jointed
limbs, they
create very
sensitive
and lyrical
shadows.
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• Rod
Puppets
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Rod
puppets are an extension
of glove-puppets,
but often much larger
and supported and
manipulated by rods
from below. This
form of puppetry
now is found mostly
in West Bengal and
Orissa.
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• Putul
Nautch, West Bengal
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The
traditional
rod
puppet
form
of
West
Bengal
is
known
as
Putul
Nautch.
They
are
carved
from
wood
and
follow
the
various
artistic
styles
of
a
particular
region.
In
Nadia
district
of
West
Bengal,
rod-puppets
used
to
be
of
human
size
like
the
Bunraku
puppets
of
Japan.
This
form
is
now almost
extinct.
The
Bengal
rod-puppets,
which
survive
are
about
3
to
4
feet
in
height
and
are
costumed
like
the
actors
of
Jatra,
a
traditional
theatre
form
prevalent
in
the
State.
These
puppets
have
mostly
three
joints.
The
heads,
supported
by
the
main
rod,
is
joined
at
the
neck
and both
hands
attached
to
rods
are
joined
at
the
shoulders.
The technique of manipulation is interesting
and highly theatrical. A bamboo-made
hub is tied firmly to the waist of
the puppeteer on which the rod holding
the puppet is placed. The puppeteers
each holding one puppet, stand behind
a head-high curtain and while manipulating
the rods also move and dance imparting
corresponding movements to the puppets.
While the puppeteers themselves sing
and deliver the stylized prose dialogues,
a group of musicians, usually three
to four in numbers, sitting at the
side of the stage provide the accompanying
music with a drum, harmonium and cymbals.
The music and verbal text have close
similarity with the Jatra theatre.
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The
Orissa Rod
puppets are
much smaller
in size,
usually about
twelve to
eighteen
inches. They
also have
mostly three
joints, but
the hands
are tied
to strings
instead of
rods. Thus
elements
of rod and
string puppets
are combined
in this form
of puppetry.
The technique
of manipulation
is somewhat
different.
The Orissa
rod-puppeteers
squat on
the ground
behind a
screen and
manipulate.
Again it
is more operatic
in its verbal
contents
since impromptu
prose dialogues
are infrequently
used. Most
of the dialogues
are sung.
The music
blends folk
tunes with
classical
Odissi tunes.
The music
begins with
a short piece of
ritual orchestral
preliminary
called Stuti
and is followed
by the play.
The
puppets of
Orissa are
smaller than
those from
Bengal or
Andhra Pradesh.
Rod puppet
shows of
Orissa are
more operatic
and prose
dialogues
are seldom
used.
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| • Yampuri,
Bihar |
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The
traditional
Rod puppet
of Bihar
is known
as Yampuri.
These puppets
are made
of wood.
Unlike the
traditional
Rod puppets
of West Bengal
and Orissa,
these puppets
are in one
piece and
have no joints.
As these
puppets have
no joints,
the manipulation
is different
from other
Rod puppets
and requires
greater dexterity.
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Glove
puppets, are
also known
as sleeve,
hand or palm
puppets. The
head is made
of either papier
mache, cloth
or wood, with
two hands emerging
from just below
the neck. The
rest of the
figure consists
of a long flowing
skirt. These
puppets are
like limp dolls,
but in the
hands of an
able puppeteer,
are capable
of producing
a wide range
of movements.
The manipulation
technique is
simple the
movements are
controlled
by the human
hand the first
finger inserted
in the head
and the middle
finger and
the thumb are
the two arms
of the puppet.
With the help
of these three
fingers, the
glove puppet
comes alive.
The
tradition
of glove
puppets in
India is
popular in
Uttar Pradesh,
Orissa, West
Bengal and
Kerala. In
Uttar Pradesh,
glove puppet
plays usually
present social
themes, whereas
in Orissa
such plays
are based
on stories
of Radha
and Krishna.
In Orissa,
the puppeteer
plays on
the dholak with
one hand
and manipulates
the puppet
with the
other. The
delivery
of the dialogues,
the movement
of the puppet
and the beat
of the dholak
are well
synchronised
and create
a dramatic
atmosphere.
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| • Pavakoothu,
Kerala |
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In
Kerala, the
traditional
glove puppet
play is called
Pavakoothu.
It came into
existence during
the 18th century
due to the
influence of
Kathakali,
the famous
classical dance-drama
of Kerala,
on puppet performances.
In Pavakoothu,
the height
of a puppet
varies from
one foot to
two feet. The
head and the
arms are carved
of wood and
joined together
with thick
cloth, cut
and stitched
into a small
bag.
The face of the puppets are decorated with
paints, small and thin pieces of gilded tin,
the feathers of the peacock, etc. The manipulator
puts his hand into the bag and moves the hands
and head of the puppet. The musical instruments
used during the performance are Chenda,
Chengiloa, Ilathalam and Shankha the
conch. The theme for Glove puppet plays in
Kerala is based on the episodes from either
the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.
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Under
the aegis of Ministry
of Culture,
Government of India
15-A, Sector - 7, Pappankalan, Dwarka,
New Delhi - 110075 |
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training |
Telephone:(011)
25088638,
47151000
Fax: 91-11-25088637,
Gram: CENCULT
E-mail:- dg.ccrt@nic.in |
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