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Design Resource
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Introduction
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Puppetry has been one of the most vibrant and long thriving theatrical forms in India. A puppet may be defined
by as any inanimate figure given life by the will and the spirit of man and this whole act is known as puppetry.
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay “As such, there are twin levels of performance where the puppeteer at first conceptualizes and internalizes the
set of roles to be enacted and subsequently transfers them upon the “inanimate” puppets. Thereby, the audience
is confronted with a dual presence – the “omnipresent” puppeteer/ master performer sharing the space with the
“animated” puppets which play into the hands of the puppeteer. An important task of the puppeteer is to trans-
form the puppet from being a mere “figure” towards embodying a distinct character.

For this, the puppeteer applies the various techniques of manipulation and the various types of puppet forms
Source: corresponding to the demands of the character”.
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/introduction The word puppet comes from the French word ‘Poupee’ or the Latin ‘ Pupa’, both meaning ‘dolls’. In Sanskrit, pup-
pets are termed ‘Putrika’’, Putraka’or ‘ Puttalika’, all of which are derived from the root Putta equivalent to Putra
(son). It is derived from ancient Indian thoughts that puppets have life.
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline Telling a story is at the crux of this form of art and it is also a great way to entertain and engage the audience
3. Types of Puppetry in India too. The storytelling concept is very much woven into this art form. Puppetry largely depends on the visuals and
the acting through the voice of the puppeteer. Even when the language becomes a barrier the visual storytelling
4. Indian People in Puppetry prevails and one could understand and extract some meaning through them.
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian The puppeteers in India extract their materials from their own tradition and also apply their own creativity in
order to transform the appearance and functionality of the puppets. Creativity is highly needed in order to make
States the puppet come alive on stage. However, the tradition that the puppeteer is carrying and manipulates is also
7. Conclusion crucial. The kind of stories that are performed throughout India ranges from heroic tales of heroes and legends
8. Links and reinvention of epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
9. Contact Details
Origin of Puppetry
Every region and religion all over the world has its own origin stories of this art form but they all have something
in common and that is they all originated from ancient times dating back to the caveman period. In India, it has
been found that puppetry may even be a 4000 years old cultural art form.
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Design Resource The origin of puppetry is still not very clear, Ancient Hindu philosophers have paid the greatest tribute to puppet-
History of Puppetry in India eers. They have likened God Almighty to a puppeteer and the entire universe to a puppet stage. Srimad Bhagava-
ta, the great epic depicting the story of Lord Krishna in his childhood says that with three strings-Satta, Raja and
Theater Art Tama, God manipulates each object in the universe as a marionette.
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah “Shadow puppetry is one of the oldest forms of puppetry, an ingenious technology of animating pictures, devel-
IDC, IIT Bombay oped centuries before the advent of cinema, and dating back at least 3,000 years. In Asia, unlike Europe, puppet
theatre is still largely a living folk tradition. Puppet performances in Asian villages are usually informal, though
often lengthy open-air affairs (India, Indonesia, Japan). Marriages, as well as births and funerals, religious as well
as national holidays, all, can become the occasion for a puppet performance. Frequently the performance takes
place in a shrine or in the temple courtyard (India, Japan, Thailand). Puppet performance is thought by simple vil-
lage folk to be “auspicious, effective in warding off evil spirits and epidemics, avoiding drought and bringing rain”.
Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- Puppetry has been part of the sacred rituals which were performed to propitiate the gods and spirits. This
petry-india/introduction tradition continues even to this day. It is believed that commissioning a puppet performance is equivalent to an
act of divine service. The puppet plays are staged or commissioned to cure and eradicate diseases of men and
animals, to ensure fertility of a woman as well as of the fields, to invoke the rain gods to procure rain, or to free a
1. Introduction person from an evil spirit’s possession. In Karnataka, the episode of ‘ Virataparva’ from Mahabharata is performed
through puppet plays to appease the rain god”.
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Mapping on a Timeline
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art 2000 - 2500 B.C
by “Despite its present-day variety and widespread use, we know little about the origin of the Asian puppet theatre
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah and we can only speculate about the cultural and social circumstances that first occasioned it. Of this much we
IDC, IIT Bombay can be certain: As long as man exists, that long he has fashioned images of himself, be it for purposes of religious
worship, that is, as idols, or be it as toys to amuse himself and his children. We have an archeological proof for a
number of prehistoric civilizations of terracotta dolls and for some of them we have evidence of dolls with move-
able limbs (“mechanical dolls’’). For instance, a toy cow with a moveable head was found at the Harappa site of
the ancient Indus valley civilization (2500 B.C.)”.

“Small ivory mechanical figurines, thought to be from about 2000 B.C. were found in an Egyptian tomb. Human
Source: and animal figures manipulated by strings (marionettes) were found in Thebes and Memphis. The famed mon-
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- strous gods of ancient Egypt were moved by concealed mechanisms. During the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2030–1650
petry-india/mapping-timeline BCE), evidence suggests that Egyptians crafted automatons made out of wood. Operated by strings, these pup-
pet prototypes simulated everyday activities, like the act of preparing dough for bread”.

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 5
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Design Resource 100 - 1300 A.D

History of Puppetry in India “Throughout India, Indonesia, and all of Southeast Asia the traditional repertory of the puppet theatre is still
largely religious. It is based on Indian mythological tales and legends, principally, however, on the Mahabharata
Theater Art and the Ramayana. In Indonesia, and the peninsular countries of Southeast Asia, which all share a common stock
by of Proto-Malay myths and rituals (dating back to 2000 B.C.), folk theatre tied to animistic worship and commu-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah nity rites, such as the rice harvest festivals, did not simply disappear upon the arrival of more developed tech-
IDC, IIT Bombay niques and repertoires coming from India (from approximately 100 A.D.-1000 A.D.). But, rather, these new forms
were altered and acculturated to the existing, indigenous ones. Development from the ritualistic-religious use of
puppetry to the secular”.

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/mapping-timeline

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 6
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Design Resource “The development in Asia (as elsewhere) has been from the ritualistic-religious use of puppetry to the secular.
History of Puppetry in India Various types of secular repertoires, such as royal genealogies, romances, the heroic epos, and the fairy tales
have been added as have also technical improvement (e.g., the 15th century abstract and stylized shape of the
Theater Art Javanese wayang kulit or shadow puppets is due to Islamic influence). From approximately 1300 A.D. onward the
by Javanese wayang kulit cyclic puppet repertoire developed a number of subtypes with largely secularized reper-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah toires and some of them with dolls. From among all of these only the wayang kulit (or wayang purwo) with its
IDC, IIT Bombay repertoire from Mahabharata and Ramayana remained popular throughout Southeast Asia. Wayang golek is
popular in south-central Java, the others having largely remained court productions. Other forms have developed
recently from the Wayang tradition, for instance, the wayang suluh of the guerillas or freedom fighters. Outside
the Indonesian Wayang, tradition stands the 20th century imported Do-the-hi. Chinese-clad glove puppets per-
form from Chinese folktale repertoires for the Chinese Buddhist communities on Java”.

Source: 1900 - 1950

https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- Whatever might be their political role in ancient times, it’s now only in the last few decades that the puppet thea-
petry-india/mapping-timeline tre has been mobilized systematically in the war of propaganda by several Asian governments.

“Puppets also played their part in the Indonesian independence struggle. They were not so used in India where
1. Introduction the British colonial master allowed ample freedom of expression, unlike the Dutch rulers of Indonesia, who strict-
ly controlled the radio, press, and cinema during the years of the Revolution from 1945 to 1949. While the Dutch
2. Mapping on a Timeline controlled the cities, student-guerillas slipped out to the villages with short puppet plays about the exploits of
3. Types of Puppetry in India their nationalist leaders and guerillas in the fight for independence. This new puppet theatre was known as the
4. Indian People in Puppetry wayang suluh (the torch or information puppet theatre). The Dutch went out of their way to search and destroy
several hundred of these puppets.
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian In addition to its efforts to preserve and improve existing forms of the puppet theatre, the Government of India
States and several of its state governments after the model of communist state use of the puppet theatre-are produc-
7. Conclusion ing and distributing plays and skits in order to promote village development schemes.” However, India being a
free country, it is possible to mind her words of caution about the dangers inherent in government manipulation
8. Links of folk art”.
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Types of Puppetry in India
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art • Shadow Puppets are flat and transparent leather or paper cut-outs, fastened to one supporting stick, and ma-
by nipulated by at least two other thin sticks or rods. Shadow puppets are popular in South India, Indonesia, Thai-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah land, Malaysia, and China. Perhaps one of the oldest forms of puppetry, shadow puppets are found in the states of
IDC, IIT Bombay Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu. Ravan Chhaya from Orissa and Tholpavai
Koothu from Kerala are the two prominent shadow puppet theatre traditions of India.

• String Puppets or marionettes have spread throughout Asia (as also into Europe), presumably with nomadic
gypsies whose ancestral home was i n Northwest and North Central India.This puppet tradition is prevalent in
Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Sakhi kundhei (companion doll) also known as sakhi
nata, is Orissa’s string puppet. The puppets are made of wood and the long flowing decorative skirts hide the legs.
Source: A puppet is manipulated by the strings (usually five to seven) attached to a triangular wooden control. In Orissa,
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- the ends of the strings are tied to a triangular wooden frame or to a horizontal bar. In Rajasthan, they are simply
petry-india/types-puppetry-india looped around the puppeteer’s fingers. String puppets are assumed to predate the Indian classical theatre. Their
first mention is in the Mahabharata of the fourth century B.C.

1. Introduction • Rod Puppets are supported and manipulated by sticks or thin metal rods. This technique, as mentioned above,
2. Mapping on a Timeline is commonly employed for shadow puppets. But it is also used for the round or doll-type puppet. The most prim-
3. Types of Puppetry in India itive rod puppet is the puppet whose trunk is formed by a stick, the lower extension of which is the handle for its
manipulation. In its primitive form, the stick puppet goes back to prehistoric times and is indigenous to all Asian
4. Indian People in Puppetry peoples. The puppets are about 60 centimeters in height; their heads are carved out of wood and are painted.
5. Media, Materials, and Stories Bengal’s tradition of rod puppet performance is known as Daanger Putul Nach. The themes of this performance
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian are derived from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and jatras.
States • Hand or Glove Puppets are also considered to be among the earliest puppets. Because of their simplicity in
7. Conclusion form and manipulation, they are known all over Asia. This is a type of puppetry where the puppeteer’s hand is
8. Links slipped inside the puppet and its movements are acted out by his fingers. Usually, the forefinger becomes the
9. Contact Details head of the puppet, and the thumb and the third finger act as its two hands. Hand/glove puppetry is quite prev-
alent in Orissa, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. A popular glove puppet plays in Kerala known as Pava
Kathakali uses puppets that are carved delicately in wood, painted, gilded, and decorated by transparent coral
and peacock feathers. The puppets are carved in the manner of Kathakali actors with their headdresses and cos-
tumes.
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Design Resource
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/types-puppetry-india

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 9
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Design Resource
Indian People in Puppetry
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Dadi Pudumjee Anupama Roy

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry

Suresh Dutta Maguni Charan Kuanr

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy Puran Bhaat Anupama Hoskere
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 10
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Design Resource
Dadi Pudumjee
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Dadi D. Pudumjee is one of India’s modern creative puppet artists and directors. Starting puppetry as a hobby in
by his hometown of Pune, India, he graduated in economics and later joined the NID-National Institute of Design in
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah Ahmedabad, India, in the department of Visual Communication. In Ahmedabad, he joined the puppetry section
IDC, IIT Bombay run by the late Meher R. Contractor of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, where he developed his hobby
of puppet theatre and made it his professional practice. In 1972 he attended the international world puppet fes-
tival in Charleville Mézières and also the UNIMA congress. This brought him into contact with many puppeteers
and their art, a legacy that he carries forward to this day. In 1976 he received a UNIMA Sweden and Swedish Insti-
tute scholarship to be a guest student at the Marionette Theatre Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, under Michael
Meschke. Whilst there, he also participated in a training workshop in Bunraku puppetry/manipulation under the
guidance of master puppeteer Sennosuke Yoshida, from Osaka in Japan.
Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- He is the Managing Trustee and Artistic Director of The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust. He is also the President of
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry/dadi-pudu- Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA) (World Puppet Organisation). In 1980, he set up the Sutradhar
mjee Puppet Theatre at the Shri Ram Centre for Art and Culture, New Delhi, India’s first contemporary puppet theatre
repertory company and was its Artistic Director till 1986. Dadi set up the Ishara Puppet Theatre, in 1986, which is
1. Introduction one of India’s leading modern puppet theatre groups, working with puppets, actors, and dancers, creating a style
2. Mapping on a Timeline that is a synthesis between the East and the West. He was awarded by Sangeet Natak Academy, the National
3. Types of Puppetry in India Award, for his work on puppetry. Besides directing performances for Ishara, Dadi conducts workshops on puppet-
ry and allied arts for various agencies, schools, and institutions in India and abroad.
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Anupama Roy
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art “Anurupa Roy is recognized as a major creative force in Indian Puppet Theatre. She received professional training
by in the art of puppetry from Dramatiska Institute at the University of Stockholm. She also holds a diploma in the
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah Guaratelle, a tradition of glove puppetry, from the Scoula Della Guaratelle in Naples, Italy. In 1998 she established
IDC, IIT Bombay her troupe, “Kat Katha”, and has worked with many mediums of expression including dance andmusic”.

Ever since her first exposure to the many Ramayanas of India, Anurupa discovered that the story of the Rama-
yana is the thread running through some 15 of the 22 traditional puppet theatre forms in different parts of the
country. Her exposure to the many Southeast Asian versions of the Ramayana at the Asia-Pacific Artists Exchange
Program in Bali also led her to think of developing a production that explored the many versions of the Ramaya-
na, both as an oral tradition and a visual art form. Vishal K. Dar, a media artist who was also part of the exchange
Source: program, was equally fascinated by the departures from the Ramayana story familiar to him. He felt that his and
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- Anupama’s backgrounds in animation and puppetry respectively could be brought together to create a fresh ex-
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry/anupa- perience of this immortal tale. The collaboration led to the creation of a short experimental piece. Since then the
ma-roy piece has been subjected to consistent development and experimentation”.

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 12
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Design Resource
Suresh Dutta
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Indian puppeteer, director, Suresh Dutta studies art, classical Indian dance (including Kathakali, Bharatanatyam,
by and Manipuri), as well as music with various renowned teachers in West Bengal, the region where he was born. In
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah the years 1961-1962, he had the opportunity, through the Ministry of Education, to obtain a scholarship from the
IDC, IIT Bombay Indian government to go to Moscow to learn the art of puppetry from the master worldwide. Recognized Sergei
Obraztsov. This training and new experience allowed Suresh Dutta to develop a lasting passion for the rod puppet
style.

Returning to India in 1963, he worked as a dance director, costume designer, and puppet theater director at the
Children’s Little Theater (CLT). This company produces pieces like Mowgli (from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book) and
Mithua (1955). Shri Suresh Dutta has been engaged in puppet theatre for the past three decades, first as puppet-
Source: ry director of Children’s Little Theatre Calcutta, and later from 1972 as the founder-director of Calcutta Puppet
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- Theatre. Among his outstanding productions are Aladeen, Ramayan, and Sita which have won wide popularity
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry/suresh-dut- at home and abroad. He has served as Vice-President of the Indian chapter of UNIMA, the international union of
ta puppeteers. For his eminence in puppet theatre and his contribution to its enrichment, Shri Suresh Dutta re-
ceived the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for puppetry.
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 13
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Design Resource
Maguni Charan Kuanr
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Born in 1937 in Keonjhar in Orissa, Shri Maguni Charan Kuanr belongs to a family of traditional puppeteers. He
by was initiated into the art of Kandhei Nach, which employs rod puppets, by his father Shri Baishnab Charan Kuanr.
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah He has also learned sculpture in clay, stone, and wood from Shri Bhagaban Jena, a traditional sculptor. Shri Ma-
IDC, IIT Bombay guni Charan Kuanr has excelled in his vocation as a puppeteer and has contributed to the recognition of Kandhei
Nach beyond Orissa. He has established a troupe of his own, the Utkal Vishwakarma Kalakunja Kandhei Nach,
based in Keonjhar. Like many traditional puppeteers, he is the creator of his own puppets, the designer of cos-
tumes, and the narrator of the plays performed. To propagate his art, Shri Kuanr has participated in camps and
workshops organized by Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi and other institutions. His work has been documented
by various agencies in India and abroad. Among other honors, Shri Kuanr has received awards from the Orissa
Sangeet Natak Akademi and the North Orissa University. Shri Maguni Charan Kuanr receives the Sangeet Natak
Source: Akademi Award for his contribution to the traditional puppetry of Orissa.
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry/ma-
guni-charan-kuanr

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 14
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Design Resource
Puran Bhaat
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Puran Bhaat is a traditional puppeteer and contemporary theatre artist in Delhi, India. He is also the recipient of
by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Puppetry, Rajasthan that was presented to him by the President of India,
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in New Delhi on 26 October 2004. Originally from Rajasthan, his father moved to Delhi al-
IDC, IIT Bombay most fifty years ago. Since then the puppeteer family has been living in the Kathputli Colony, an artist community
of Delhi. Surprisingly Puran Bhat is not just a puppet master but became known as an activist of Kathputli Colony
who bravely stood up against the government of Delhi and Raheja Developer, the real estate shark from consum-
ing the Kathputli Colony in the name of redevelopment.

Aakaar Puppet Theatre group’s Dhola Maru and Swagat performances are quite popular not just in the country
but abroad too. These are performed in the kathputli (means a puppet made of wood), a form of string puppetry
Source: from Rajasthan, which then migrated across the region. This puppetry is performed by the Bhat community from
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- Nagaur in the Marwar region.
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry/pu-
ran-bhaat

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 15
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Design Resource
Anupama Hoskere
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art “Anupama Hoskere is a master puppeteer and the Founder-Director of the Dhaatu Puppet Theater, Bengaluru,
by India. She is the recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar, the highest Indian recognition giv-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah en to practicing artists. She has wide experience in every facet of the composite art form of puppetry including
IDC, IIT Bombay performance, puppet making, puppet theater proscenium design, scriptwriting for puppet plays, music and song
composition for puppet plays, lighting, and sound effects in puppet theater”.

She has created to date, 14 one-hour-long puppet productions and 8 short puppet performances including sev-
eral productions which include dance and puppetry combined in absolutely endearing proportions. A careful and
detailed study of the Natyashastra provided Anupama much impetus to expand the intricacies and intellectual
merit of her productions. Anupama received the Senior Research Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture which
Source: gave her an opportunity to redesign the old puppet theater into a more complex layered theater - combining
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- dance, theater, and puppetry into one Broadway scale performance of about 80 minutes. The Dhaatu Puppet
petry-india/indian-people-puppetry/anupa- Theater has been invited to perform at prestigious International Festivals in France, Belgium, Morocco, the USA,
ma-hoskere and China apart from several platforms within India where Anupama Hoskere’s genius received its due recogni-
tion. Anupama is also the Festival Director of the Dhaatu International Puppet Festival – an annual festival In Ben-
1. Introduction galuru. Dhaatu has, over time, developed to become India’s first puppetry brand name that catapulted puppetry
2. Mapping on a Timeline into being recognized as a respected and classical art form of India.
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
4a. Dadi Pudumjee
4b. Anupama Roy
4c. Suresh Dutta
4d. Maguni Charan Kuanr
4e. Puran Bhaat
4f. Anupama Hoskere
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 16
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Design Resource
Media, Materials, and Stories
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art In India, there are twenty living traditions of shadow puppetry, string puppetry, rod puppetry, and glove puppetry.
by But they all share some similarities with each other even when they belong from different regions and are per-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah formed in different languages and dialects. The similarity includes the context of stories for the play, the central fig-
ure of the narrator or singer, dance, music, and the structure of the performance. The social and economical context
IDC, IIT Bombay
of traditional artists, visuals, and aesthetics somehow are also shared within the realm of theaters. Their worldview
along with the moral content is linked with the religion, and these religions could include cults of local divinity such
as Hindu Shaivism, Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism, and Islam.

There are strong connections between the Indian puppetry genre from different regions and traditional actor theat-
er forms. The ritual of preparations is very much similar. Sutradhar (the one who holds the string) and Vidushaka
Source: (a comic relief) appear taking different forms and names on the opening of the show. The interplay between rasa
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- (sentiment) and bhava (emotional state) along with song, text, rhythm, and movement are elements that connect it
petry-india/media-materials-and-stories with the Sanskrit theater strongly. There are scholars who believe that the foundation of regional forms in the local
language is very much linked with the Sanskrit drama. Although traditional puppeteers don’t share the aesthetic
terms used in Natyasastra (‘Book of Drama’’ written between 200 B.C.E - 200 C.E).
1. Introduction
There are many parallels between puppetry and traditional dance- drama. Karnataka’s yakshagana and yakshagana
2. Mapping on a Timeline gombeyata string puppetry, Kerala’s kathakali and pavakathakali glove puppetry, West Bengal’s jatra and danger
3. Types of Puppetry in India putul nach rod puppetry, and Assam’s bhaona and putala nach string puppets are interrelated. There are similarities
4. Indian People in Puppetry in the visual style also, may it be the costumes, headgear, jewelry, make-up, even sometimes character-type also
matches. These similarities make the puppet play look like a miniature theater performance. Since the rhythm and
5. Media, Materials, and Stories dance are essentially permanent elements in both. The puppeteers wearing ankle bells dance backstage while their
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian puppets dance on the stage along with drummers and musicians beating their bols (drum syllables), matching the
States puppeteer’s steps.
7. Conclusion “Puppet making is routinely related to the visual art tradition of the region. Consider similarities in the treatment of
8. Links eyes in 16th-century Lepakshi temple murals of Andhra Pradesh and the shadow puppets of the region, the pata-
9. Contact Details chitras (iconic paintings on walls, cloth, palm leaves, scrolls) and gopalila kundhei puppets of Orissa, and the patas
(paintings, painted scrolls) and danger putul nach rod puppets of West Bengal. References to these picture scrolls
can be found from the 2nd century BCE and, for example, a 3rd-century text Bhagavati Sutra relates that the great
Jain teacher Mankhali Gosala was the son of a picture showman. Buddhist literature mentions charana chitta (mobile
paintings) of the punishments of hell, commonly called yama pata (scrolls of the god Yama, ruler of the underworld):
even today we find Bengali performers who play hell scenes called yam pot, and contemporary Gujarati panels may
show the Lord of Death (Yama) dealing out punishments. These picture narratives are performed with music and
movement that reminds us that puppetry and performers and painters often come from the same groups as pup-
peteers”.
D’source 17
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Design Resource
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/media-materials-and-stories

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 18
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Design Resource
Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay
Tholu Bommalata Koyya Bommalata
(Shadow Puppet) (String Puppet)

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states Putul Naach Yampuri
(Rod Puppet) (Rod Puppet)
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet) Gomba Atta Togalu
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet) (String Puppet) (Shadow Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet) Tholpavakoothu Kalasutri Bahulya
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
(Shadow Puppet) (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 19
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Design Resource
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah Chammadyache Bahulya Rabana Chaya
IDC, IIT Bombay
(Shadow Puppet) (Shadow Puppet)

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- Kathputli Bommalattam
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi- (String Puppet) (String Puppet)
an-states
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
Kandei Nach
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States (Glove Puppet)
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 20
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Design Resource
Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art “Andhra Pradesh’s famous leather puppets are large in their make and made from translucent goatskin. The
by distinctive details are painted in bright colors, and perforations are later added to these striking puppets. Tradi-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah tionally used as shadow puppets, the leather puppet theatre, or Tolu bommalata as it is locally called, was devel-
IDC, IIT Bombay oped in the 16th century under the patronage of Vijayanagara rulers. A fine white cloth measuring 12x9 ft lit from
the back with a bulb or oil lamp functions as a screen. Both sides of the puppet are painted by us to enhance the
projection of the figure. The puppet is then inserted in between two bamboo splits for stiffness, and movement.
They can range from 3 to 6 ft in size”.

“Tholu Bommalaata is generally practiced by a troupe whose members belong to the same family, with the art
being passed down orally from one generation to the next. The artists have their own narrative explaining the
Source: origin of their art form, as is common in all oral traditions, and often trace their lineage back to a super-devotee
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- mentioned in the scriptures. These legends, which differ in detail from region to region, stress the divine origin of
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi- the art form and grant divine status to the artists’ ancestors”.
an-states/tholu-bommalata-shadow
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 21
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Design Resource
Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/koyya-bommalata-string
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
The puppets with their wooden torsos sculpted from a single piece of wood have joints at the shoulders and
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
hips. They dance but normally have no legs. The puppets’ clothes that appear to float from the body accentuate
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet) the movement conveyed by the manipulation of the two strings affixed to the head, the two strings at the hips,
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) and the two strings attached to the hands. The six strings are tied to a triangular-shaped control. The puppeteer,
7. Conclusion holding the control and bending over the puppets, is hidden behind a dark curtain that conceals him either par-
8. Links tially or fully. While the puppets are comparatively small, no more than 40 centimeters tall, their very long arms
9. Contact Details hang almost to the ground. The arms are painted, like the face, with vegetable colors.
D’source 22
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Design Resource
Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art “Western Bengal daanger putul nach puppets are composed of a wooden body and face covered by a cloth
by soaked in dry clay that is then painted. The design of the features as well as the primary colors that are used
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah recall the patas (drawings, scroll paintings) by street storytellers. The shining puppet’s face is varnished at least
IDC, IIT Bombay once a year. The wooden hands, pierced with a hole in the palm, can hold a bow, an arrow, a spear, or a sword. In
the body of each puppet, several removable heads can be alternately inserted, allowing for a change of many
characters. The left arm of the puppet is usually not articulated but the right arm has an elbow and sometimes
a wrist. The dancing puppets are articulated at the hip and at both wrists. The character of Krishna (an avatar of
god Vishnu) has a right leg whereas all other puppets do not”.

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/putul-naach-rod-puppet
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet) “Each ensemble is composed of twenty to twenty-five puppet bodies that can be multiplied by a factor of at least
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
three, thanks to the interchangeable heads, to make up the total number of characters. Some of these heads can
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
also represent animals, such as a lion or a monkey. The puppet, when its costume is fully spread out, can measure
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
up to 1 meter high and weigh between 5 and 15 kilograms so that not even a strong man can hold and fully han-
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) dle a figure of this weight. The stage, made of bamboo posts and fabric, can be as high as 3 meters, forcing the
7. Conclusion spectators to tilt their heads way back to look at the puppets. The stage, measuring 6.5 by 3.5 meters, is closed
8. Links off on three sides and covered by a cloth roof. The painted backdrops represent a palace, a forest, or a cremation
9. Contact Details ground, and can be changed two or three times during a show”.
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Design Resource
Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/yampuri-rod-puppet
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
The puppets employed in this art form are made of wood and manipulated by strings. Unlike other tradition-
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
al rod puppets of West Bengal and Orissa, these puppets are in one piece and have no joints. Rod puppetry is
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) similar to glove puppetry but the puppets are larger in size than that of the latter and are manipulated by rods.
7. Conclusion A wheeled platform that has a height of about three feet from the ground is set up for the show. The puppeteers
8. Links and the musicians position themselves near the stage. The classical and folk music of the region serves as the
9. Contact Details background score during the performance. Curtains act as a backdrop for the enactment of various scenes.
D’source 24
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Design Resource
Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/gomba-atta-string-puppet
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet) “Traditional string puppet theatre of Karnataka in south-west India. String puppets have different names in Kar-
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet) nataka depending on the region. In the southern part of Mysore, they are called sutrada gombeyata (sutra: string,
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet) gombeyata: dance), whereas the term yakshagana (chant of celestial beings) is used in the northern style, yaksha-
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet) gana gombeyata. They present little difference in terms of costumes, make-up, repertory themes, performance
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet) structure and music. Sutrada gombeyata puppets are one metre high and weigh between 6 and 8 kilograms. They
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet) are carved by sculptors from light rot-resistant wood. Unlike yakshagana gombeyata puppets, which have legs
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet) and are articulated at the knees and ankles, sutrada gombeyata puppets are legless with long dresses floating
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
under their upper torso. The puppeteers make each puppet play multiple roles and transform them during the
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
performance. Their round faces painted in blue, red, and yellow can change into a hero or a demon, a hunter, or
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
a forest hermit. The stage, whose dimensions vary depending on the region, is usually set up outside the temple
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) of Kali. The visible part measures about 180 centimeters by 120 centimeters with a depth of 75 centimeters. The
7. Conclusion rest of the stage is covered by dark cloth in order to hide the puppeteers. Each puppet, suspended by six black
8. Links strings (two tied to the ears, two to the hands, and two to the hips), is handled by the puppeteer who directs its
9. Contact Details movements with his two hands as he talks and sings”.
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Design Resource
Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/togalu-shadow-puppet
1. Introduction
“Traditional shadow theatre from Karnataka in south-west India. Togalu signifies “leather” and gombeyata “figure,
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India doll, dance, and performance”. There are two distinct types of togalu gombeyata based on the size of the figures.
4. Indian People in Puppetry Chikka theatre uses smaller figures (between 20 to 30 centimeters high) and dodda theatre uses larger-sized fig-
5. Media, Materials, and Stories ures (between 30 to 120 centimeters in height). Togalu gombeyata performances take place in a reserved space
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States outside the village and also in the courtyard of certain temples. The colored and transparent shadow figures are
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet) seen from behind a rectangular white cotton fabric screen stretched between two poles.The lighting source – in
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet) olden days an oil lamp, later a hurricane lamp, and nowadays a neon – is placed between the puppeteer and the
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet) leather figures”.
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet) “These puppet showmen travel about with their own portable puppet stage that can be disassembled and reset
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet) up consisting of twelve bamboo poles, a long rope, and a length of white cloth that can be mounted on three or
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet) four sides. There are often two puppeteers who set themselves up, to manipulate the shadow figures from inside
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet) this box, but without being seen by the audience. The musicians, composed of a singer, a maddalam (horizontal
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet) two-skinned drum) player, a tala (cymbal) player, and a harmonium player, sit or stand on the sides. They all wear
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
gejje, metal anklet bells around their legs. The shadow figure is attached and held by a bamboo rod that runs
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
through it vertically. Another much thinner bamboo rod manipulates the only movable member, most often an
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) arm but sometimes the head or the leg. The large figures are animated by puppeteers behind the screen who
7. Conclusion hold them at arm’s length 1.8 meters high. In the past, figures used to be carved from doeskin but now goatskin is
8. Links used. Performances are held during religious and secular celebrations in the Mysore, Mandya, and Bellary regions
9. Contact Details and a few other villages of Karnataka”.
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Design Resource
Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
Tholpavakoothu is shadow puppetry from Kerala. It is a ritualistic art form that has been a part of Kerala’s culture
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi- and originated in the 18th century is also known as pavakoothu (puppet play) or nizhalattam (shadow play). This
an-states/tholpavakoothu-shadow-puppet entertainment art is performed on a special stage called koothumadam in the temple courtyard. Puppets (pa-
1. Introduction vakal), usually representing four characters from the Ramayana, are arranged behind a long white screen, in front
2. Mapping on a Timeline of bright wick lamps.
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry Tholpavakoothu puppets are made of deerskin. While formerly the puppets were made out of deerskin, the use
5. Media, Materials, and Stories of buffalo and ox skin is now commonly used. The puppets are held by a thin stick in one hand while the limbs are
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States manipulated by a thinner stick held in another hand of the puppeteer. The figures are drawn on the skin, cut out,
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet) and embellished with dots, lines, and holes. When the skin is completely dehumidified all the hair on it is removed
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet) by scraping the surface with a sharp–edged piece of bamboo. Then the puppet figure is drawn clearly on it and
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet) cut out with a fine chisel. The eyes, noses, and lips are also drawn on the puppet, and cut-out ornaments and
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet) dress are drawn by drilling different kinds of holes in the skin for which special pointed chisels are used.
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet) Puppets are painted with different colors, the original method of making natural colors was by boiling the wood-
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet) en pieces of different woods, the result was good, strong, and lasting, these become very attractive when shades
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
of other colors merge in them, Deerskin is used to make the puppets as it is considered sacred and divine while
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
making the puppets the hair of the skin is removed and the outline of the puppets is drawn over it. Then it will
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet) be cut carefully to size for setting proper facial expression with decorations to the puppets the different types of
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet) chisels are used, this being a dedicated job. It should be done with utmost care. Then flexible hands made of deer
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) skins are attached to the puppet. A bamboo stick is fixed vertically along with the puppet and lay holding this
7. Conclusion stick, movement of the play will be controlled according to the circumstances. There must be above 150 puppets
8. Links made in different positions standing, fighting, sitting and lying, etc to conduct this play based on “Kamba Rama-
9. Contact Details yana”.
D’source 27
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Design Resource
Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/kalasutri-bahulya-string
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet) Traditional string puppet theatre from Maharashtra in south-west India. The performers of kalasutri bahulya (kal-
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
asutri, string, and bahulya, puppet), descendants of families of puppeteers that originally came from Rajasthan
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
and Gujarat, are today very few in number. Their performances center on the many episodes of the Ramayana,
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
beginning with the accounts of the birth of Rama and ending with the killing of Ravana. The small puppets, finely
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) sculpted from wood, wear elaborate headdresses, turbans, and ornaments. Articulated at the shoulders and
7. Conclusion knees, the puppets do not have strings attached to their feet, which remain free. A string attached to the head
8. Links joins one connecting to the back and two others extending from the hands. A single musician sings the text and
9. Contact Details alternately, in turn, plays the tabla and the cymbals.
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Design Resource
Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/chammadyache-bahulya-shadow
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet) The shadow puppetry tradition in Maharashtra state is known as Chammadyache Bahulya. In Maharashtra it is
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet) practiced by the Thakar community Though these forms have distinct regional identities, languages, and dialects
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet) in which they are performed, they share a common worldview, aesthetics, and themes. The narratives are mainly
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet) based on the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Puranas, local myths, and tales. Besides being a form of en-
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet) tertainment, they also communicate significant messages to the rural community. The performance begins with
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
an invocation on a ritually set up stage in a village square or a temple courtyard. Stock characters provide comic
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
relief. A sense of rhythm and dance is inherent in all the traditions, across regions. The puppets are crafted from
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet) either goat or deerskin. They are manipulated from behind the screen, where lighting is provided to cast shad-
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet) ows. Puppet performances are a part of festivals, celebrations of special occasions and rituals, and sometimes
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet) staged to ward off evil spirits and to invoke the rain gods in times of drought in rural areas.
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 29
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Design Resource
Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/rabana-chaya-shadow-puppet
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet) Ravana Chhaya, literally ‘the shadow of Ravana’, is a 6000-year-old shadow puppet show of Odisha, which starts
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet) at night with the auspicious tradition of breaking the coconut and singing hymns to the Lord Ganesha and
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet) Rama. The show follows the Odia poetry collection, Vichitra Ramayana written by Vishwanath Khuntia, a sev-
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
enteenth-century poet. The puppets used are a single-piece structure with no joints and no colors. They throw
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
opaque shadows on the screen, and their manipulation requires great dexterity. They are made up of deerskin
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) and are conceived in bold, dramatic poses. Apart from human and animal characters, many props such as trees,
7. Conclusion mountains, chariots, etc., are also used. Although the Ravana Chhaya puppets are smaller in size, ranging from
8. Links six inches to two feet, and have no jointed limbs, the use of poetic language, music, and narration of religious
9. Contact Details themes creates a spectacular and sensitive show.
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Design Resource
Kathputli (String Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/kathputli-string-puppet
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet) Traditional string puppet plays from Rajasthan in north-west India. The Bhat and Nat communities of Rajasthan,
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet) most originating from the Nagaur district, traditionally nomadic but today more or less sedentary, would travel
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) with family throughout the Thar Desert and Nagaur regions practicing the profession of putliwallah (puppeteer)
7. Conclusion and genealogists. As genealogists, they kept the family histories of important people in the villages and towns in
8. Links Rajasthan where they themselves came from. For their own local rulers, for instance, thrice a day in the square
9. Contact Details they would recite the family histories, the events in the lives of the rulers’ ancestors.
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Design Resource As puppeteers (kathputliwallah or kathputli kalākāra, “artist”), they perform the kathputli ka khel (“kathputli
History of Puppetry in India play”). The kathputli performers claim that their ancestors had performed for royal families and had received
great honour and prestige from the rulers of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab. Indeed, they
Theater Art mostly performed in other states, not only in Rajasthan. They traveled to Uttar Pradesh and other areas that
by were Hindi and Urdu (or Hindustani) speaking, thus the language of the kathputli ka khel – for both songs and
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah dialogues – was a blend of these two languages. The kathputli puppets (putli meaning doll and kath, wood) are
IDC, IIT Bombay sculpted and painted by the puppeteers themselves and are composed of a head inserted on a short, thin torso
of wood. The arms, made of wood or cloth stuffed with cotton, articulated at the elbow and wrist, hang and move
freely on both sides of the body. Since most of the kathputli do not have legs, the puppets’ long, ground-length
cotton voile skirts twirl about when in motion. Two strings, one attached around the puppet’s waist, the other
to the top of its head, are connected to a loop that the puppeteer manipulates directly between his fingers or
lifts to make the puppets dance. The dancer puppet, called Anarkali, however, is a more complex puppet, having
Source: around six strings. Traditional kathputli string puppets do not have controls. It is a very simple manipulation tech-
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- nique, yet the result is heightened by the fast movements from above and by the number of puppets assembled
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi- on the brightly colored cloth puppet stage representing a palace.
an-states/kathputli-string-puppet
Today, the vitality of the kathputli ka khel does not seem to be waning. Many groups of puppeteers crisscross Ra-
1. Introduction jasthan as well as other northern Indian states, particularly since the 1960s “Green Revolution” when an irrigation
2. Mapping on a Timeline policy allowed farmers several harvests per year, giving landowning villagers the occasion to give thanks to the
3. Types of Puppetry in India gods by celebrating feasts to which they invited troubadours and puppeteers. Often accompanied by Bhopa-Bho-
4. Indian People in Puppetry pi storytellers from the Bhil group who base their own stories, music, and dances on gigantic comic strip-like
5. Media, Materials, and Stories painted scrolls (phad or path), the kathputliwallahs‘ most intense period of activity is during the dry season. Since
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States 1980, several kathputli troupes travel the world over, invited by institutions and festivals.
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Bommalattam (String Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art The history of Bommalattam puppetry dates back to India’s medieval period as far as the 10th century when most
by of the Bommalattam performances were based on tales of spirituality and mythology. Bommalattam, narrates
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah the traditional legends and myths such as Valli Kalyanam (Valli’s marriage), Harichandra, Lava Kusa, Nallatangal
IDC, IIT Bombay Kathai, and Markadeyan Kathai. Bommalattam was also used during the freedom struggle to promote nationalis-
tic zeal. Bommalattam combines 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
Source: into four parts – Vinayak Puja, Komali, Amanattam, and Pusenkanattam. In Bommalattam puppetry, the puppets
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- are made out of cloth, wood, leather, or other materials. The strings or wires are used to control the puppets,
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi- whose hands and legs were tied up to the strings. There are 5 to 8 members in the puppet show troupe. A single
an-states/bommalattam-string-puppet puppeteer presents the entire puppet show. The Bommalattam finger puppet dance begins with an homage to
God and continues with humorous stories. There is a character of buffoon which is extremely hilarious that dis-
1. Introduction
plays fun and frolic.
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet)
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet)
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet)
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet)
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet)
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet)
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet)
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet)
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet)
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet)
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet)
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/major-puppetry-traditions-indi-
an-states/kandei-nach-glove-puppet
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian States
6a. Tholu Bommalata (Shadow Puppet)
6b. Koyya Bommalata (String Puppet)
6c. Putul Naach (Rod Puppet) Traditional rod puppet theatre from the state of Odisha located in the east of India. The puppets of kathi kund-
6d. Yampuri (Rod Puppet) hei nacha (“wooden-rod puppet dance”, also called kandhei nach or kandhei nata) are manipulated by a kathi,
6e. Gomba Atta (String Puppet) or wooden rod. The traditional performance, an amalgam of dance, drama and songs, begins with an invocation
6f. Togalu (Shadow Puppet) (stuti), followed by the sutradhara (stage director/narrator) introducing the episode to be enacted from the epics,
6g. Tholpavakoothu (Shadow Puppet) the Ramayana and Mahabharata, or from the Puranas. Puppets are up to 60 centimetres in height, carved, paint-
6h. Kalasutri Bahulya (String Puppet) ed, and costumed in the Orissa style of jatra (operatic theatre), with full skirts and shirts. The puppets are joined
6i. Chammadyache Bahulya (Shadow Puppet) at the shoulders, and the shoulder joints are connected with strings inside the torso of the puppet to two rings,
6j. Rabana Chaya (Shadow Puppet) which are pulled to move the characters’ arms. The rod holds up the head, which is carved in wood and painted.
6k. Kathputli (String Puppet) Puppeteers sit on the ground behind a screen. Musicians play drums, cymbals, and reed instruments, including
6l. Bommalattam (String Puppet) the Indian clarinet and flute, and more recently a harmonium, while a multi-person group manipulates. Today, the
6m. Kandei Nach (Glove Puppet) staging can be more elaborate, performed in a booth stage with a curtain and painted backdrops, similar to the
7. Conclusion West Bengal danger putul nach stage.
8. Links
9. Contact Details
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Design Resource
Conclusion
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Puppetry is a folk art form that has existed for a long time and spread all over the world. There many types of
by puppets and their forms all over the world but the principles remain the same. Although there are several tra-
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah ditional puppet genres in India and the overview provided here cannot be all-inclusive as the topic is wide and
IDC, IIT Bombay diverse, it conveys the main features of this theatre form. Puppetry in India has been a means to provide enter-
tainment and to take forward the culture and religion. But in order to thrive in the modern era, this art form
needs to adapt itself and somehow build an economy where new and reformed ideas can be developed. One
such example can be in the educational sector. Puppetry can help children by making them understand the world
through stories.

The use of puppet show as a means of education and communication through the indirect expressions of the
Source: puppets gives the puppeteer an opportunity to spread political and religious ideas and also a critique of the
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- same. A puppet show’s inherent freedom for improvisation permits reference to present facts and events and a
petry-india/conclusion chance to make satirical comments and thus puppets are often represented as bold critics of the society.

As stated by Kamaladari Chattopadhyay in her book “handicrafts of India”, “As a medium, however, puppetry has
1. Introduction a few equals and scores many advantages over human performances in moving and holding audiences. It sug-
2. Mapping on a Timeline gests rather than instructs because of an innate subtlety. IT can indulge in exaggerations or distortions without
3. Types of Puppetry in India being coarse or vulgar”.

4. Indian People in Puppetry Today, while puppetry has made its way into the cities, traditional puppetry is dying a slow death. Modern pup-
5. Media, Materials, and Stories petry, on the other hand, is gaining momentum, albeit slowly, and is often used as a tool for imparting social
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian messages. Puppeteers now tell stories on everything from medieval kings, Phulan-Devi, Aladin‘, Tejimala‘, Witch-
Craft‘ to AIDS because to survive in this digital world, the revolution has become a necessary component for this
States centuries-old craft.
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 35
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Design Resource
Links
History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art Links and References
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah • Akhyan, A celebration of Mask, Puppets and picture Showmen Tradition of India.
IDC, IIT Bombay http://ignca.nic.in/PDF_data/aakhyan_brochure.pdf

• http://pronay-165022.blogspot.com/2017/08/origin-of-puppetry-in-india_48.html#:~:text=
The%20word%20puppet%20comes%20from,thoughts%20that%20puppets%20have%20life.

• http://ccrtindia.gov.in/puppetforms.php
Source: • Inge C. Orr, P uppet Theatre in Asia, V ol. 33, No. 1, 1974
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/links • https://www.unima.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Unima_WPD19_message-ENG.pdf

• https://indiaifa.org/anurupa-roy.html
1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline • https://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/citation_popup.php?id=1209&at=2
3. Types of Puppetry in India
• https://doerlife.com/puran-bhaat-indias-best-puppeteer-will-continue-his-fight-to-save-kathputli-colony/
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories • https://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/citation_popup.php?id=1259&at=2
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
• https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-art-culture/praise-for-puppets-738963.html
States
7. Conclusion • https://odishabytes.com/artistes-were-treated-better-under-royal-patronage-puppetry-exponent-maguni-cha-
8. Links ran-kuanr/, .
9. Contact Details
• https://www.dhaatupuppets.org/the-dhaatu-team

• https://www.dhaatupuppets.org/about

• https://wepa.unima.org/en/india/

• https://sarmaya.in/guides/tholu-bommalata/
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Design Resource • https://wepa.unima.org/en/koyya-bommalata/

History of Puppetry in India • https://wepa.unima.org/en/dadi-pudumjee/
Theater Art
by • https://www.sahapedia.org/introduction-indian-puppetry
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay • https://wepa.unima.org/fr/asie/

• MARIONETTE: FROM TRADITIONAL MANIPULATION TO ROBOTIC MANIPULATION

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatra_(theatre)

Source: • Sutradhar A UNIMA India Publication

https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- https://www.unima.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Sutradhar-Web-Version-2017.pdf
petry-india/links
• https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/02/the-shadow-of-ravana/

1. Introduction • https://wepa.unima.org/en/sutrada-gombeyata/
2. Mapping on a Timeline • https://wepa.unima.org/en/danger-putul-nach/
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry • https://wepa.unima.org/en/togalu-gombeyata/
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
• https://www.keralatourism.org/kerala-article/2011/tholpavakoothu-shadow-puppetry/130
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States • https://wepa.unima.org/en/kathputli-ka-khel/
7. Conclusion
• http://tholpavakoothu.in/stories/
8. Links
9. Contact Details • http://tholpavakoothu.in/about-us/about-tholpavakoothu/

• https://wepa.unima.org/en/kalasutri-bahulya/

• https://wepa.unima.org/en/kathi-kundhei-nacha/

• https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/waging-a-lone-battle/article7278556.ece
D’source 37
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Design Resource • http://www.daricha.org/genre.aspx?ID=20&Name=Puppetry

History of Puppetry in India • https://www.katkatha.org/
Theater Art
by • Theodora Skipitares (2013) A New Aesthetic in Indian Puppetry
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah
IDC, IIT Bombay • https://disco.teak.fi/asia/rukada-the-marionette-theatre/

• James R. Brandon A sian Theatre Journal, vol. 28, no. 2 (Fall 2011 ) by University of Hawai’i Press.

• Marcella Croce. T he Chivalric Folk Tradition in Sicily: A History of Storytelling, Puppetry, Painted Carts, and Oth-
er Arts.
Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- • Suspension of disbelief through puppetry | Dadi Pudumjee | TEDxIIMIndore
petry-india/links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2g9jxsvEOk

• https://www.platform-mag.com/art/the-17th-ishara-international-puppet-theatre-festival-2019.html
1. Introduction
• Anindita Chattopadhyay, P uppetry as a form of Mass Communication: Indian perspective
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India • https://wepa.unima.org/en/society-and-puppets-social-applications-of-puppetry/
4. Indian People in Puppetry
• Tarja Krögera, Anne-Maria Nupponen Puppet as a Pedagogical Tool: A Literature Review March 2019, Volume 11,
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
Issue 4, 393-401
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian https://wepa.unima.org/en/indonesia/
States
7. Conclusion • Shadow Puppetry with Robotic Arms
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3123266.3127925
8. Links
9. Contact Details • http://www.daricha.org/artists_details.aspx?ArtistID=CI9LS6LFMAQN

• Tarer Putul | String Puppets | D hiren Natya Tarer Putul Nach Sangstha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mna2zWcELi0

• https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/marionettes-of-their-own-times/297737

• http://tholpavakoothu.in/puppets/
D’source 38
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Design Resource • https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2686401#

History of Puppetry in India • https://www.swadesi.com/news/yampuri-the-traditional-rod-puppetry-of-bihar/
Theater Art
by • https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/02/the-shadow-of-ravana/#:~:text=Odisha%20is%20the%20
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah only%20Indian,to%20Lord%20Ganesha%20and%20Rama.
IDC, IIT Bombay
• All images are sourced from https://images.google.com/

Source:
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup-
petry-india/links

1. Introduction
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details
D’source 39
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Design Resource Contact Details

History of Puppetry in India
Theater Art This Project was done by Rajiv Sarkar, M. Des. Student at IDC, IIT Bombay.
by
Rajiv Sarkar and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah You can write to the following address regarding suggestions and clarifications:
IDC, IIT Bombay
Helpdesk Details:
Co-ordinator
Project e-kalpa
Industrial Design Centre
IIT Bombay
Powai
Source: Mumbai 4000 076
https://www.dsource.in/resource/history-pup- India
petry-india/contact-details
Phone: 091-22-2576 7820/ 7801/ 7802
Fax: 091-22-25767803
1. Introduction Email: dsource.in[at]gmail.com
2. Mapping on a Timeline
3. Types of Puppetry in India
4. Indian People in Puppetry
5. Media, Materials, and Stories
6. Major Puppetry Traditions of Indian
States
7. Conclusion
8. Links
9. Contact Details