The hall was buzzing with the hum of voices of excited students, all waiting with bated breath for the show to begin. As soon as the lights went off, there was a sudden silence. Soon the stage in front lit up and the puppet characters set off on a journey telling a mesmerising tale – the story of a young boy and his association with Swami Vivekananda. For the next one hour, the audience was transported to a different world. Organised by the Udaipur-based Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal in Vizag last weekend, the puppet show was a fine reflection of one of the oldest art forms in existence and practiced across the world.
A skill that requires a team of expert story-tellers – right from puppeteers, script-writers to sound and light technicians and voice-over artists – the tradition of puppetry today involves a collective effort to bring out a riveting performance. Along with the right light and sound effect, peering deep below into the puppet stage, the puppeteers manipulate the stringed figures from a bridge above the stage to tell many fascinating tales.
A non-commercial registered society, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal is one of the few organisations in the country that has consistently worked towards preserving and disseminating folklore and folk arts since the year 1952.
From its humble beginning, the association today stands in 3,000 sq. metres of land and houses a puppet training centre with a puppet theatre, a research and documentation wing which undertakes research in folk lore and culture, an open air theatre and a museum that displays original pieces of folk art and craft.
“Our organisation supports a group of families of traditional puppeteers of Rajasthan. But the traditional way of conducting a puppet show has gone through a change. We have modified the puppets and also included music and lights effect to make the show more lively,” says Govardhan Samar, Asst. Director, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal.
Countless unpaid hours go into each new production before it is seen by any audience. “It takes six months to one year’s time to make a one-hour puppet show programme,” says Samar. The art of Rajasthani puppetry (also called Kathputli) originated thousand years ago with the Bhat community. Patronised by many ruling families in the state, it soon grew into a major art form of the region. After the Mughal invasion in Rajasthan, Kathputli gradually lost its importance. “Historically, these puppets were not only a source of entertainment, but also provided moral and social education,” Samar says. The shows tackled problems like the dowry system, women’s empowerment, illiteracy and poverty. These puppet shows made people aware of the social problems that everybody was facing and also showed ways of solving them. Over time, the art has been reinvented keeping in mind prevailing contemporary issues. Today, puppetry is considered to be a powerful education tool. In order to acquaint more people with the traditional art of puppetry, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal conducts puppet shows at schools in different cities with its expert team of puppeteers and technical professionals showcasing the rich historical tales of India through this fine art of story-telling. The organisation’s 15-member team that tours the cities has already performed more than 160 shows, reaching out to 2.25 lakh people in recent years. It also has a research and documentation centre that conducts cultural survey of the rural and tribal belts to identify and locate the folk art forms and support artists and artisans. Over the years, the centre has developed a rich library of documentary films, professional puppetry shows and audio tapes.
Those interested to contact the organisation can mail Govardhan Samar at govardhansamar@gmail.com
