ong>Answer:

Indian puppetry is a subject as varied as the many cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Several regional genres make puppetry one of the richest heritages of India. Though there is enormous diversity, there are common traits.

The origin of puppetry in India cannot be dated, but mythology PROVIDES at least two stories that are WITNESS to the importance of this art, even if they don’t give any historical data.

According to one legend, the creator Brahma gave life to the adi, the first nat puppeteer, and created the first puppet for the entertainment of his wife Saraswati.

Not satisfied with his work, Brahma banished the puppeteer to earth, starting the line of nat bhatt puppeteers.

This legend applies most probably to the Rajasthani tradition, nat bhatt being the name of the puppeteer cast from this region

An alternative legend has as protagonist the god Shiva, patron of puppetry, and his wife Parvati.

An artisan manufactured two wooden dolls that captured the attention of Parvati—the goddess and his divine companion entered the dolls and started an exquisite dance; and when they got sick of this play they abandoned the dolls and the artisan was very sad at his dolls being lifeless again.

With the HELP and blessings of the gods, the artisan then invented a system of strings to move the dolls, and so puppetry was born

Puppets or “Kathputli” is an ancient and popular form of folk entertainment. Egyptians are probably the earliest known puppeteers.

String Puppets of wood performing the action of kneading bread is the oldest evidence of puppets in Egypt as early as 2000 BC.

Puppetry in India must have originated earlier than 5th century B.C. In the 2nd century the Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar mentioned about

In Srimad Bhagvata, the God Almighty has been likened to a puppeteer who with three strings-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas-manipulates all the beings in the created universe.

Explanation:

There are four types of puppets glove, rod, shadow and string.

They are differentiated based on the different ways of manipulation of puppets.

Rod puppet

Rod puppetry was traditionally practiced in Eastern India (ODISHA and Bengal), besides the mixed string/ bommalattam puppets from Tamil Nadu.

Rod puppets are manipulated from below, with one or multiple sticks of different size and weigh up to ten kilograms.

String puppet

India has a rich and ancient tradition of string puppets or marionettes

String puppets are made of wood, or wire, or cloth stuffed with cotton, RAGS or saw dust.

The puppet is suspended from a hand held control strings that are attached to different parts of the puppet’s body.

The puppet is manipulated by operating the control as well as by loosening or pulling the relevant string(s).

Shadow puppets

Shadow puppets are flat puppets that are operated against the rear of a tightly stretched white cloth screen.

The puppet shapes or cutouts are perforated and split bamboo or cane sticks are attached vertically to the puppet for handling and manipulation.

Glove puppet

The glove puppets are worn on hands just like a glove.

The middle finger and thumb act as hands of the puppet and the index finger acts as the head.

Also known as hand puppets these are a small figure having head and arms wearing a long skirt as its dress.One puppeteer can perform with two puppets at a time.

Indian states which are known for these arts.

Glove puppets in Kerala are called Pava-kathakali.

The height of a puppet varies from one foot to two feet. The head and the arms are carved of wood and joined together with thick cloth, cut and stitched into a small bag.

The theme for Glove puppet plays in Kerala is based on the episodes from either the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.

Kundhei nach are the glove puppets of Orissa.

conclusion

There are several traditional puppet genres in India and the overview provided here cannot be all-inclusive as the topic is wide and diverse, but it conveys the main features of this theatre form.

Puppetry has been in India a means of entertainment and a form of cultural and religious dissemination.

In the post-colonial period, the high-speed modernization wave that invested India put many of the puppetry traditions at risk of extinction; several government and private initiatives contributed to save endangered styles, but many are still struggling to survive in the age of internet.Besides traditional puppetry, India is home to a lively contemporary scene.

Independent India opened up to artistic exchange, and new forms and techniques affected puppetry, introducing new styles and giving origin to a refined urban puppet theatre

The birth of modern troupes and the opening to the international scene created new contexts for traditional puppetry to flourish.

Several festivals organized in the last decades offer the stage to traditional troupes.

So far modernity threatened the very survival of traditional puppetry, but a more conscious use of contemporary means and opportunities is actually the key to preserve this rich heritage .