Karnataka, in south India, is a land known for its rich cultural heritage and folk traditions. Karnataka is probably the only state in India where the three major Puppet forms - the Marionette, the Rod and the Leather - have been equally popular among the people. These art forms awe their existence to the  "Temple based puppet theatre" which flourished for centuries in the State.

Putthali : Putthali in Sanskrit means the puppet used for the performance Manipulation of an intricate web of strings enables the movement of the puppet.

Chandana Putthali is a troupe of youngsters, which was specialised in "Rod Puppetry". The wooden puppets used by the troupe are one of the tallest of their kind. Each puppet is 3 to 3.5 feet in height and weights around 10 kg. The puppets are known for their beauty, traditional embellishments, myriad colours and rich ornamentation. They have made a mark in the puppet world by their sheen, sparkle and style.

The manipulation of the tall and hefty puppets is an arduous task. The manipulator hangs the puppets from his head ( with the help of strings ) and given them motion by jerking the rods. For this reason, these puppets are also referred to as " string-cum-rod puppets" .

Suthradhara : The protagonist of the show who introduces the story and the characters to the audience and also performs rituals before and after the show some times he narrates the story. The concept of "Sutradhara " is a gift given by the puppet theatre to Indian Theatre.

INTRODUCTION TO KARNATAKA TRADITIONAL PUPPETRY

Puppetry is claimed to have been originated in India in the era of King Vikramaditya in ujjaian where the bhanjikas of the throne used to narrate the moral stories to the king. Later on these Bhanjikas were more popularized as putthalika or putthali. putthali's were used as a universal mode of human communication, which crosses physical barriers, political frontiers and linguistic constraints. It is therefore pointless to date it, or attempt to mark its "true" birthplace. It is certain, however, that puppetry has flourished for centuries as a popular art in India.

A popular art form with a long tradition in India, puppetry seems to have been first mentioned in the ancient Tamil epic Silappadikaram (second century BC). While style and presentation differed from region to region, some commonalities remained. Puppeteers in all regions of India traditionally relied on ancient Indian epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha as their themes, and their shows were a regular feature of religious festivals, wedding celebrations, and social gatherings. In fact, performances often began after sunset and lasted for hours, sometimes all night long. Puppeteers were itinerant performers who often enjoyed royal patronage. Puppetry travelled beyond India as early as the sixth century AD, and as its popularity spread across oceans many Southeast Asian nations adapted the art form to their own cultures and traditions.

Today , puppets continue to enthrall audiences as they come to life to the accompaniment of song and music. Many puppetry traditions remain in India, though these traditions are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The intricacies of the art alone are daunting; a puppeteer must narrate a story, manipulate the figures, give each character an appropriate voice, and carefully choreograph sound effects and movement. A successful puppeteer needs to have a thorough grasp of poetry, history, philosophy, religion and music. Puppeteers also sing to the accompaniment of musical instruments, speak several languages, and bless the event and the surrounding area by quoting from religious scriptures.

The strength of puppetry is in its interactive quality. It is a live medium with a personalized approach. Puppeteers sometimes invent their own stories, improvising from the basic plot a complex network of intrigues, romances, wars, magic and comedy. The use of local dialects and stories makes for an immediate and direct rapport with the audience, with whom puppeteers often converse through their characters.

Traditional Indian puppetry is often considered a "dying art." Indeed, puppetry has suffered as a result of the modern media explosion, which has left many live performers at a loss for audiences. In addition, modern economic conditions make survival as a puppeteer increasingly difficult; royal patronage is a thing of the past, and funding for the arts has become scarce. Rural puppeteers face a particular disadvantage, as they are far removed from the artistic infrastructure that is available in many cities. In an effort to address these issues, Chandana Art Foundation International has undertaken an attempt to promote and preserve traditional Indian puppetry. It is a slow revival, and there is still much to be done.

A survey of traditional Puppeteers of Karnataka exclusively on rod & string puppet theatre conducted by the Chandana Art Foundation International in Mysore and Mandya district during October`2002 The team was headed by    Mr. Ranganatha Rao master puppeteer, Rangaputthali puppet group in Bangalore urban district of Karnataka state and included K.Venkatesh, Manging Trustee - CAFI; Mr. Srinivas, puppeteer; and Ms Renee Bowers, research scholar with the American Institute of Indian Studies. Showed that traditional puppeteers were languishing in remote areas of the state due to lack of support and that the art form was facing extinction.

Puppetry in fact, is the pragmatic expression, psychology of man whether it is viewed from an angle of philosophy, religion, science or literature. Evaluation of puppetry has great influence on the formation of modern culture, as they are the fruits of many centuries.

The artists draw inspiration from the people and nature that they are rich and varied with cultural heritage of the past, which is acquired and learned. It is used to inculcate the customs and ethical standards in the young.

The study of the traditional puppetry with scientific approach will result in an increased awareness of cultural heritage and a new approach to socio-economic and literary understanding. The scientific study of puppetry implies understanding of what is scholarly pursuit of folklore what it means, how a puppeteer or audience understands the genuine and visual traditions.

Today puppetry occupies a far less significant place on the Indian cultural scene than it did in its glorious past. No institutions or university courses are dedicated to puppetry unlike in western countries, and puppeteers learn their art either through family tradition or simply because they become interested in it. Industrialization, urbanization and the advent of modern mass media, especially films and television, have inevitably put a damper on traditional and folk forms of art worldwide and Indian puppetry has been no exception. Feature films and modern dance performances have replaced puppet shows in the village festivals.

The phenomenal growth of satellite television in the last two decades has kept children and adults alike glued to the screen. Is it a wonder then that digitally animated cartoon characters have been received with such popularity? For what is digital animation but the art of story telling and illusion. The cartoon figures of today were the puppets of yesterday. The media explosion left traditional Indian puppetry which was once considered a �dying art�, But now in an effort of preserving and promoting to make puppeteers and puppet shows a multi-dimensional experience. Chandana Art Foundation International has started a slow revival but still has far to go.

The arrival of the modern media also brought a need to improve the production quality and content of these puppet shows. Despite the onslaught from the mass media, some forms of traditional puppetry, handed down from generation to generation, Unable to change with the times, many traditional puppeteers vanished from the scene.

In the near future Chandana Art Foundation International would like to organize festivals and conferences in Bangalore as part of an endeavour to improve the techniques and forms of traditional puppetry. At these events, the interaction and exchange of ideas between traditional and non-traditional puppeteers for the development of the art resulted in assimilation of styles and emergence of new trends and updating of technological advancement.
 

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