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Arts


The Puppet Theatre

String puppets or Marionettes | Leather or Shadow puppets


Leather or Shadow Puppets

Leather or Shadow PuppetsLeather puppetry is an ancient art which existed in the third century in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At present, the leather puppetry is extensively found in Chitradurga, Ballary and Kolar districts. The puppeteers following this art are known as 'Gomberamas' or 'Kille kyatas'. These troupes numbering 40 are the only nomadic clan practicing this profession.

The striking feature of Shadow puppetry is that, they create a world of fantasy and colour just behind the screen. Their uniqueness lies in their shadow performance. In reality, in such a show, the actual puppet is concealed behind a screen and only its shadow is visible to the audience, requiring enormous skills to present a shadow puppet show.

The brilliance of illiterate puppeteers finds expression in breathing life into a piece of skin and moulding it into different roles behind a thin backdrop illustrating the creative urge to enliven the show.

Structure

The leather puppets are made of either goat or deer skin which is painted with vegetable dyes. Modernization has, however, taught the players to make leather puppets by using simple plastic x-ray sheets replacing the traditional animal skin. The leather puppets are flat structures and are transparent. The arms, legs and head of the puppet are movable. 

Music

The musical narration is simple and vivid, lending commendable support to the visual depiction. The extempore prose narration is interspersed with anecdotes and incidents. The indigenous musical instruments comprise of 'mrudanga' and the 'paware'. The sticks in 'paware' when rubbed against each other produce a peculiar but thrilling sound.

The puppet show requires a simple stage. A white screen is important since it is behind this that the puppets are played and on which shadows of the performing puppets are cast. The puppeteers hide themselves from the audience's view behind a thick black blanket. A lamp is hung behind the white screen. The reflection of the light falls on the puppets whose shadows ultimately appear on the transparent white cotton screen.

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