Nitin Singhania Summary: Indian Puppetry | Nitin Singhania: Indian Art & Culture (Summary & Tests) - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

• Ancient form of entertainment.
• One of the most ingenious inventions of mankind.

Indian Origin

• For entertainment and educational purposes.
• Excavation sites at Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro- puppets with sockets attached to them found.
• Around 500 B.C- references of marionette theatre found.
  Marionette Theatre 
• Oldest written reference to puppetry- Tamil classic Silappadikaram (written around 1^st & 2nd century B.C.)
• It has been of philosophical importance in Indian culture.
• Bhagwata, describes God as a puppeteer, controlling the universe with the three strings - Satta, Raja & Tama. In Indian theatre, narrator was called Sutradhar or ‘holder of strings’.
• Variety of puppetry traditions have developed ill various parts across India but lack of devoted audience and financial security has led to a steady decline of this art form in modern times.

Puppetry in India can be classified into four categories as follows:

1. String puppet

• Kathputli
• Kundhei
• Gombeyatta
• Bommalattam

2. Shadow puppet

• Tholu Bommalata
• Ravanchhaya
• Togalu Gombeyatta

3. Glove puppet

• Pavakoothu

4. Rod puppet

• Yampuri
• Putul Nach

➢ String Puppets

(a) Important Features

• Puppets are 8-9 inch miniature figures chiselled out of wood.
• Oil colour is used to paint the wood.
• Small wooden pipes used to form limbs.
• Body is covered with colourful miniature dress and stitched.
• Miniature jewellery and other accessories are also used.
• Strings are attached to small holes in the hands, head and back of the body

(b) Popular Examples

(i) KathputliKathputli

• Traditional string puppets of Rajasthan.
• ‘Kath’ means wood & ‘putli’ means doll.
• Covered in traditionally bright Rajasthani dress.
• Accompanied by dramatic folk music.
• Unique feature- Absence of legs.

(ii) Kundhei

Kundhei

• String puppets of Odisha.
• Made of light wood & are dressed in long skirts.
• Have more joints, thus more flexibility.
• Strings attached to a triangular prop.
• Marked influence of Odissi on these shows.

(iii) GombeyattaTogalu Gombeyatta

• Karnataka
• Styled on various characters of Yakshagana theatres.
• Unique feature- more than one puppeteer is used.

(iv) Bommalattam

Bommalattam

• Tamil Nadu
• Combines features of rod and string puppetry.
• Strings attached to an iron ring, worn by puppeteer on his head.
• These are the largest & heaviest marionettes found in India.
• These could be as large as 4.5 ft in height & 10 kg in weight.
• Four distinct stages - Vinayak Puja, Komali, Amanattam & Pusenkanattam.

➢ 

Shadow Puppets

• Has survived till now.

(a) Important Features

• These are flat figures cut out of leather.
• Painted identically on both sides of the leather.
• Placed on a white screen with light falling from behind, creating a shadow on the screen.
• Figures are manipulated so that the silhouettes created on the blank screen create telling imagery.

(b) Popular Examples

(i) Togalu Gombeyatta

• Karnataka
• Unique feature - Variation of puppet size based on social status, i.e. kings &religious figures are large puppets while common people & servants are smaller puppets.

(ii) RavanachhayaRavanachhaya

• Most theatrical of shadow puppetry.
• Odisha
• Made of deerskin & depict bold, dramatic postures.
• Do not have any joints attached to them, making it complex.
• Use of non-human puppets like trees & animals.
• Ravanchhaya artists- create a lyrical & sensitive theatrical narration.

(iii) Tholu BommalataTholu Bommalata

• Andhra Pradesh
• Accompanied by classical music.
• Themes- mythological & devotional tales of epics and Puranas.
• Puppets are larger in size & coloured on both sides.

➢ 

Glove Puppets

(a) Important Features

• Also known as sleeve, hand or palm puppets.
• Small figures with head & arms wearing a long, flowing skirt.
• Made of cloth or wood, but variations of paper puppet also seen.
• Puppeteer wears puppet as glove, manipulating the head with his index finger.
• Two hands are manipulated using thumb & middle finger - giving life and expression to originally limp puppets.
• Accompanied by rhythmic beats of drum or dholak.

(b) Popular Examples

(i) Pavakoothu

• Kerala
• Origin- 18th century A.D.
• Decorated with colourful headgears, feathers & face paints, which depicts heavy influence of Kathakali.
• Themes: Ramayana & Mahabharata.

➢

 Rod Puppets

(a) Important Features

• Larger variations of glove puppet.
• Controlled by rods.
• Popular in Eastern India.

(b) Popular Examples

(i) YampuriYampuri

• Bihar
• Made of wood & are without joints.
• Carved out of a single piece of wood & painted and dressed in bright colours.

(ii) Putul NachPutul Nach

• Bengal-Odisha-Assam region.
• 3-4 ft. high & dressed like characters of Jatra.
• Have three joints - at neck & at the shoulders.
• Each puppeteer controls a single puppet by means of a rod attached to his waist. He moves around behind the curtain, imparting similar movements to puppets.
• Accompanied by musical troop of 3-4 musicians playing harmonium, cymbals & tabla.