Photograph: M. Vimala
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Introduction               Traditional Indian Puppetry               About the Site

Introduction
Puppetry is one of the most ancient forms of entertainment in the world.
Besides providing
entertainment, this visual art form is also used for
conveying meaningful messages. Over the years, Puppetry has developed
into a powerful media of communication. Puppetry offers a real challenge to
the imagination and creative ability of the individual and of all art mediums,
it is probably the least restricted in its form, design, colour and movement
and the least expensive of all animated visual art forms.

Audience watching a puppets show                                  Photograph :  Bhanumathi

Traditional Indian Puppetry
                                       Traditionally, India has a rich heritage of puppetry. The history of                                        puppetry in India dates back to around the 5th century B.C. The                                        early puppet shows in India mostly dealt with histories of great                                        kings, princes and heroes and also political satire. Religious                                        portrayals in puppetry developed in South India with shadow                                        puppets performing stories from Ramayana and Mahabarata. Besides                                        dealing with religious themes, Indian puppetry also conveys useful m                                     messages from Panchatantra and other mythological and historical                                        epics.

                      
                 
Scene from Ramayana
Today, most of the traditional puppet theatres have lost their popularity due to the influence of cinema, television, video, etc. . However, in its adapted form, this media is still popular with children, educators and communicators.


About the site
The first of its kind hosted from India, this site will give an exhaustive
account of all aspects of puppetry including different types of puppets,
profile of Indian puppeteers and varied puppet theatre. In addition to its
traditional uses, this site will also give information on using puppets for
communication, education and entertainment. A purely voluntary and
non-commercial venture, the aim of this site is to create awareness
about Indian puppetry.







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