Indian Puppetry

Introduction

Among the early forms of entertaining practises, puppetry was also included. The puppeteer controls the indicative elements of the puppet, thus making the entire experience highly capitative & fun. In contrast, the low cost of production and animation makes a performance popular among the puppet industry. This form of entertainment gives freedom to the artist making the puppets to design its structure, use vibrant colours on puppets, and decide on their movements. Puppetry is considered the most creative discovery of humankind. 

Origin of Puppetry in India

Education and entertainment has long been associated with puppetry in India. Puppets

Handmade socks have been found at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, indicating puppetry existed as a form of art. Tamil classic Silappadikaram, which was written in the 1st and 2nd Century BC, also portrays an apparent reference to puppetry. Though the art of puppetry has seen references in the field of mythology and art, this art form is slowly vanishing and losing its charm. The main reasons contributing to the decline of this art type include a reduction in the audience and a lack of finance to develop this art.

Categorization of Puppetry

Puppets are made from a wide range of materials and are developed into various forms. Hence it can be rightly said that there are many different kinds of puppets. The list of common types of puppets are as follows: 

• Shadow Puppets
• Glove Puppets
• Rod And Arm Puppets
• Finger Puppets
• Ventriloquist Puppets
• Marionettes
• Hand Puppets
• Stick Puppets
• Sock Puppets 

String Puppets

Puppets are shaped out of wood and usually have less than 8 inches miniatures. 

Puppets are painted with oil colours, giving the skin, eyes, and nose a pretty realistic look. Strings are joined to small holes pierced through the hands, head, and behind the puppet, which the puppeteer then manages skillfully. Miniature jewellery is decorated on the puppets to add a realistic feeling. Some examples:

• Kathputli: The state of Rajasthan is known for its traditional string puppets called Kathputli. Kathputli means a wooden doll. In the puppetry show, which involves Kathputli puppets, dramatic folk music is played to add spice to the show. A vital characteristic of these puppets is that they don’t have legs, and a long colourful dress covers them till leg length
• Kundhei: The state of Odisha is known for its string puppets called Kundhei. Kundhei are made out of light wood and are dressed in vibrant colour skirts which are long to leg length. These puppets are made of multiple joints, enabling the puppeteer to manage them flexibly
• Bommalattam: Bommalattam is a native type of art from Tamil Nadu. An iron ring connects the strings of the puppet. Bommalattam puppets are large and heavyweight puppets from India. Some puppets are as tall as 5-5.5 feet in height and weigh around 9-10 Kg
• Gombayetta: This is the traditional theatre from the state of Karnataka. Influence by Yakshagana theatre of Karnataka.

Shadow Puppets

Shadow Puppets are flat puppet figures cut & designed from pieces of leather. Puppet figures are painted with colours on the sides of the leather. To create the effect of shadow, puppets are placed on a white screen. This facilitates the shadow to fall on the screen. Some of the examples of shadow puppets include:

• Toggle Gombeyaata: Popular theatre shows from the state of Karnataka. Puppet sizes differ based on the level of the character’s social status in the economy. Therefore, the puppets of kings are designed at a larger size than other puppet characters
• Ravan Chhaya: Ravan Chhaya is a popular entertainment type from the state of Odisha. The operation of puppets is skillful and requires no joints
• Tholu Bomayatta: This is a type of shadow puppetry played in the theatre of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The puppet show is blended with classical music and is themed mainly around many religious tales from the Purana. Puppets are large. They are very colourful on both sides. 

Glove Puppets

The puppets are worn on the hands of the puppeteers like gloves. The puppeteer manipulates the puppet using his index finger, thumb: rhythmic beats, or Dholak’s escort performances.

• Pavakoothu: It is a traditional puppet show from Kerala. Influenced by the Kathakali dance form, which is evident in this theatre. Plays are themed roughly around Ramayana and Mahabharata. 

Rod Puppets

A variety of hand puppets are famous in Eastern India

• Yampuri: Traditional rod puppet of Bihar. Puppets are made of wood, and these are without joints. They are carved out of wood and are painted and dressed in bright colours
• Putul Nach: Traditional form of art in Bengal- Odisha-Assam region. The puppeteer manages the puppets with the help of a rod. The rod stands attached using a rod attached to his waist. A musical troupe accompanies the performance.

Finger Puppets

These modest puppets are skilfully managed with a single finger. Hence, all the required characters can be cast with a single hand. These puppets cannot move and are designed to be stable. The moving parts of these puppets are from the puppeteer. The puppeteer bends their fingers or moves their hand to bring about movements to the finger puppets. The puppeteer moves their finger accordingly in connection to the respective character talking.           

Ventriloquist’s Puppets

In Ventriloquism types of puppets, the puppeteer creates the illusion that their voice comes from a puppet. In the initial days, complex wooden puppets were used as ventriloquists; As times have evolved, soft puppets have started to be used as Ventriloquist’s Puppets. 

Ventriloquist’s Puppets are operated by a rod. Usually, the rod runs from the back of the head of the puppet down their bodies. The soft puppet comfortably sits on the ventriloquist’s knee. This allows the puppeteer to place their hand through a hole in the back of the soft puppet figure and operate it. The puppeteer performs functions of moving eyebrows, blinking eyelids, and movement of the lower jaw for the Ventriloquist’s Puppets.

Marionettes

Marionettes’ puppets have a complete body. They are controlled and operated from above by

strings. The strings are attached to parts of the puppet’s body. Marionettes are a little complex to manage, and hence it becomes difficult to control these puppets due to their complexity. Marionettes appear to be doll-like in the way they look. They are designed to move around, and it seems like the puppets are walking.

Conclusion

Indian puppetry is as diverse as the Indian subcontinent’s myriad cultural traditions. Puppetry is one of India’s most diverse cultural heritages, with a variety of regional genres. Though there is a great deal of variability, there are some similar characteristics.

Aside from traditional puppetry, India has a thriving contemporary puppetry culture. Puppetry was influenced by new forms and techniques as independent India opened up to artistic interaction, bringing new styles and giving birth to a refined urban puppet theatre.

Traditional puppetry has been endangered by modernity in the past, but a more careful use of contemporary methods and opportunities is the key to preserving India’s rich legacy.