In India Puppetry has been one of the most ancient folk skill forms of traditional entertainment and has the richest variety of types and styles of shadow puppets.

Shadow puppets are made up of leather that has been carved into flat figures.

The audience is seated in front of the screen, and shadow puppets are pressed up against the screen with a powerful source of light behind it. The interaction between the light and the screen creates vibrant shadows for the audience. Popular regions for these puppets include Orissa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

Indian shadow puppetry examples include: 

Togalu Gombeyatta (Karnataka),

Tholu Bommalata (Andhra Pradesh), 

and 

Ravanachhaya (Odisha)

Togalu Gombeyatta: 

Togalu Gombeyatta is the name of Karnataka’s shadow theatre. 

Most of these puppets are small in size. 

However, the puppets’ sizes vary according to their social standing; for example, kings and religious figures are larger than ordinary people or servants, who are smaller.

Tholu Bommalata:

The majority of it comes from the state of AP. The puppets have jointed shoulders, elbows, and knees and are quite huge. On both sides, they are colored. As a result, these puppets cast colorful shadows on the screen. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas are used as the inspiration for the puppet plays’ themes, and the music is mostly influenced by local classical music.

Ravanachhaya, Orissa:

This is a type of puppet from that state. There are no joints and the puppets are in one piece. Since they lack color, they cast opaque shadows on the screen. Along with the usage of human and animal characters, several props are also employed, including trees, mountains, chariots, etc. Despite being smaller in size—the tallest Ravanachhaya puppets are less than two feet tall and lack jointed limbs—they cast incredibly tender and lyrical shadows.

Gender role and division on Shadow puppetry in India:

For a long time, this art has hampered the involvement of women in taking part in the playing role of puppets. Women are mostly hidden or invisible in play and men’s roles are exclusively visible. A study conducted on the role of women in the traditional puppeteer family in India on
two major forms of puppetry-‘String puppetry and Leather- Shadow puppetry which shows women are not involved in making puppets even in South India that are made of wood called string marionettes.

Women are mostly involved in the fabrication of natural dyes and colors, such as those made from dirt, mud, leaves, tree bark, seeds, and charcoal, on cloth, the preparation of appam (Wall putty) utilizing soft lay, tamarind seeds, and traditional glue, and the designing and dressing of costumes are all more commonly done by women. puppets that are stitched using a needle and thread.

What studies say?

Traditional puppeteers did not allow women to take part actively as in Kerala, Shadow puppetry and the place and performance going on are like a temple and puppets are made of Gods and goddesses to be played on stage where they are not allowing women for the reason by the Custom or their menstruation. Only Male members are allowed to connect the profession and play roles.

What’s now?

Nevertheless, Today Women from Traditional families and women who are interested in puppetry come under an umbrella called Contemporary puppeteers. As a result, women in puppetry are using puppetry to revive the art form,  to address some of India’s most pressing social problems, to impart education, awareness campaign, in theatre, and also as therapeutic value. 

Women artists today not only contribute to this rich art form, but they also hold their own as equal puppeteers and performers. The evident cultural rebirth can be seen in the appropriation of traditional art, modifications, exploration of interconnection, artistic and creative modules connecting the international models, for teaching, education, social cause, campaign, and lastly to entertain with a message.

Reference:

Many Voices, One World (1982). New Delhi: Oxford, IBH.
Melkote, S.R. (1991). Communication for Development in the Third World: Theory and Practice. New Delhi: Sage.
Mukhopadhyay, D. (1994). Folk Arts and Social Communication, New Delhi: Publications Division.