Nitin Singhania Test: Indian Puppetry - UPSC MCQ

• String puppets or marionettes have a prominent presence in the Indian cultural traditions.

• The features of string puppets are:

1. The puppets are generally 8-9 inch miniature figures chiselled out of wood.

2. Oil colour is used to paint the wood with skin colour and add other facial features such as eyes, lips, nose, etc.

3. Small wooden pipes are created with the body to form the limbs. The body is then covered with a colourful miniature dress and stitched.

4. Miniature jewellery and other accessories are attached to give a realistic feel.

5. Strings are attached to small holes in the hands, head and back of the body controlled by the puppeteer.

• The string puppets of Odisha are known as Kundhei. They are made of light wood and are dressed in long skirts.

• The puppets have more joints, thus giving the puppeteer more flexibility. The strings are attached to a triangular prop.

• There is a marked influence of Odissi dance on Kundhei puppet shows.

• The traditional string puppets of the Rajasthan area known as Kathputli derives its name from 'Kath' meaning wood and putli' meaning doll. The puppets are covered in the traditionally bright Rajasthani dress.

• The show is accompanied by dramatic folk music. A unique feature of the puppets is the absence of legs. The strings are attached to the finger of the puppeteer.

• Bommalattam is the puppetry indigenous to the region of Tamil Nadu. It combines features of rod and string puppetry. The strings are attached to an iron ring which is worn by the puppeteer on his head.

• The Bommalattam puppets are the largest and heaviest marionettes found in India, with some of them as large as 4.5 ft in height and 10 kg in weight. The Bommalattam theatre has four distinct stages - Vinayak Puja, Romali, Amanattam and Pusenkanattam.

• India has a rich tradition in shadow puppetry, which has survived till now. Some of the shadow puppetry features are:

1. Shadow puppets are flat figures cut out of leather.

2. The figures are painted identically on both sides of the leather.

3. The puppets are placed on a white screen with light falling from behind, creating a shadow on the screen.

4. The figures are manipulated so that the silhouettes created on the blank screen create telling imagery

• It is the most theatrical of shadow puppetry and is a popular entertainment form in the Odisha region.

• The puppets are made of deerskin and depict bold dramatic postures. They do not have any joints attached to them, making it a more complex art.

• There is the use of non-human puppets, such as trees and animals as well. The Ravanchhaya artists are thus extremely trained in their art - creating a lyrical and sensitive theatrical narration.

Tholu Bommalata: It is the shadow theatre of Andhra Pradesh. The show is accompanied by a classical background in the music and themed around mythological and devotional tales of the epics and Puranas. The puppets are larger in size and colour on both sides.

Yampuri: It is the traditional rod puppet of Bihar. The puppets are generally made of wood and are without any joints. They are carved out of a single piece of wood and then painted and dressed in bright colours.

Pavakoothu:

• It is the traditional glove puppet show of Kerala. It originated in the period around 18th AD.

• The puppets are decorated with colourful headgears, feathers, and face paints, which is evidence of a heavy Kathakali dance form's heavy influence.

• The plays are themed around narrations of Ramayana and Mahabharata.