When there were no movies or television, puppetry was a major
means of
entertainment for the people. The existence of puppetry art
can be traced back to ages ago with the Hindus. It was a wonderful
medium to narrate traditional stories years ago. From India,
this art went to Southeast Asia and Turkey. Now it is prevalent
only in the South Indian states.
In Karnataka there are several families who perform in their
local areas and are known by the distinct name 'Togalu Gobbeyata'.
Many of India's puppets are based on Hindu mythologies.
Puppeteers' leather dolls are masterpieces of folk-art. Usually
deerskin and goat hide are used, as they can be rendered transparent.
They easily absorb different colors and can last for centuries.
However, the hides of buffaloes, donkeys, and camels may also
be employed for the same purpose.
The raw hide is first treated with a solution of common salt
or caustic soda and dried. Then it is painted in vibrant colors
extracted from locally available plants and rocks. Different
parts of a doll are obtained from various hides and are joined
in such a way that their limbs and head can be moved with ease.
For this purpose, various parts of each puppet are connected
with strong strings and thin sticks, with the help of which
their movements are controlled.
These
dolls are manufactured either by the puppeteers themselves,
or through aprofessional artist. The dolls are stored and carried
in a leather box. The arrival of the puppeteers' team to an
Indian village is a welcome news to young and old villagers
alike.
The artists belong to a nomadic tribe of Gypsies and hence are
always on the move. They carry their own baggage, which consists
of huge leather bags containing puppets, musical instruments
and a few utensils. They pitch a homemade, moderate-sized tent
under a tree and commence their activities. The head approaches
the village elder and seeks permission, monetary help and food
for performing his show, which are always granted.
The team sets up a rectangular stage by using split bamboo stems
and
woolenblankets. In front of this four square meter enclosure,
a white semi-transparent cloth is used as a backdrop to project
the puppets. Just behind the screen runs a rope from which the
puppets are hung. In order to project the puppets on the screen
a bright oil lamp is placed behind them. The entire family is
posted behind the stage and participates in different activities
of the show.
The performances commence late at night and continue till dawn.
Generally, episodes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the
Puranas are enacted. The head puppeteer provides the male voice.
The female and children's voices are provided by his wife and
children respectively. The visuals are synchronized with music.
The experts in the family control the movements of puppets by
employing strings and chords attached to them. Hence, their
puppets can walk, talk, dance, gesticulate, and even drop dead!
The future for these puppeteers is very bleak. Today's villagers
are attracted to movies and television shows. Hence many puppeteer
families have taken to agriculture and some have been forced
to work as farm hands. However, their leather puppets are in
great demand in western countries, and the middleman pockets
large sums of money by selling them. Thus, the puppeteers are
denied the much-deserved fruits of their labour.
7:39:38 AM 
entertainment for the people. The existence of puppetry art
can be traced back to ages ago with the Hindus. It was a wonderful
medium to narrate traditional stories years ago. From India,
this art went to Southeast Asia and Turkey. Now it is prevalent
only in the South Indian states. 
These
dolls are manufactured either by the puppeteers themselves,
or through aprofessional artist. The dolls are stored and carried
in a leather box. The arrival of the puppeteers' team to an
Indian village is a welcome news to young and old villagers
alike. 
woolenblankets. In front of this four square meter enclosure,
a white semi-transparent cloth is used as a backdrop to project
the puppets. Just behind the screen runs a rope from which the
puppets are hung. In order to project the puppets on the screen
a bright oil lamp is placed behind them. The entire family is
posted behind the stage and participates in different activities
of the show. 
