Different types of puppets found in India

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India as homeland of puppetry,has four types of traditional puppets. Traditional puppets derive their repertoire, costume and music from the folk theatre of the particular region. The presentation of puppet programs involves the creative art of many people working together.They are differentiated based on different ways of manipulation of puppets.
 The four types of puppets are:-
  •         String Puppets
  •         Shadow Puppets
  •         Glove Puppets
  •         Rod Puppets
     1. String Puppets

India has a rich and ancient tradition of string puppets or marionettes. String puppets or marionettes is a figure with many joints and suspended by string from a control. String puppet operates from above. In this form of puppetry, strings are held by the hands of the puppeteers. Strings puppets are made of wood, or wire, or cloth stuffed with cotton, rags on saw dust. These puppets have joined limbs and arms controlled by strings allow far greater flexibility and are therefore the most articulate of the puppets. The puppet is manipulated by operating the control as well as by loosening or pulling the relevant string(s). The traditional string puppet shows of Rajasthan are the most popular ones and are known as ‘Kathputli ’. Strings puppets shows are also popular in other regions of the country and are called by different name as ‘Putul Naach’ in Assam and West Bengal, in Karnataka as ‘Gombeyatta’; in Maharashtra it is known by ‘Kalasutri Bahulya’. In Odisha, are called ‘Gopalila Kundhei’, while in Tamil Nadu, it is known as ‘Bommalattam’.
   
    2.Shadow Puppets 

When the audience watches the shadow of puppet and not the real one, it is called Shadow Puppet. It can be black and white or in colour. The flat figures usually made of leather, are lightly pressed on a transparent screen with a strong source of light behind. The screen thus forms the barrier between the audience and the puppet, creating the projection of image. The impact on the audience, surrounding by darkness all around is quiet dramatic. The puppets are stuck vertically to cane or bamboo sticks and the puppeteers skillfully do manipulation and handling. Shadow puppets are known by different names in different states in India. In Andhra Pradesh it is popular as ‘Tholu Gombeyata’; in Ratnagiri area of Maharashtra, it is known as ‘Chamadyache Bahulya’, in Tamil Nadu this is known as ‘Thol Bommalattam’ and in Odisha as ‘Rabonochaya’. The size of the puppets, the colour and materials used slightly varies from one region to the other.

    3. Glove Puppets

As the name indicates Glove Puppets are mostly made of cloth and are worn on the hand by the puppeteers and they use their finger and thumb acts as hand of the puppets and the index finger acts as the head. Glove puppets are small in size having head and arms wearing a long skirt as its dress. One puppeteer can perform with two puppets at a time. The tradition of glove puppets in India is popular in Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh and generally performed in open air. The traditional glove puppet play of Kerala is called ‘Pava Kathakali’or ‘Pava Kuthu’.  It uses the storyline, costume and music of Katakali dance form. In West Bengal, glove puppets is known as ‘Bener Putul’, the puppeteer plays damru (small drum) to attract crowd and holds male and female puppets in his two hands. Glove puppets of Odisha is called is called ‘Sakhi Kundhei’, which shows the dalliance of Krishna with Radha. The puppeteers of Uttar Pradesh mount shows by using the glove puppets quarrel between two wives of a man ‘Gulabo’ and ‘Sitabo’.The songs are interspersed with bawdy jokes and humour.


4. Rod Puppets

Rod puppets are an extension of glove puppets but often larger and supported from below. These puppets have mostly three joints, the heads, supported by the main rod, is joined at the neck and both hands attached to rods or costume of the puppet. Rod puppets are seen in West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar today. Rod puppets in west Bengal is known as Dan-ger Putul Naach, costume, theme and music are all taken from the Jatra of Bengal. The rod puppet of Odisha is called is called Kathi Kundhei, also follow the Jatra tradition of Odisha. Yampuri puppet play of Bihar use rod puppets .The play show what happens after death of man.



Location: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

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