KATHPUTLI PUPPETRY

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Context: A once vibrant community of puppeteers and folk artistes from Kathputli Colony, which now resides at a transit camp in Anand Parbat, was dealt another blow after a fire razed 24 shanties and damaged 20 others.

About Kathputli:

• It is a string puppet theatre, native to Rajasthan.
• It is the most popular form of Indian puppetry.
• Being a string marionette, it is controlled by a single string that passes it from the top of the puppet over the puppeteers.
• Kathputli means a puppet that is made entirely from wood. However, it is made out of wood, cotton cloth and metal wire.
• Kathputli art tradition is more than thousands of years old.
• The tradition of Kathputli is based on folk tales and stories.
• Scholars believe that folk tales convey the lifestyle of ancient Rajasthani tribal people.
• Characteristic of this form are the shrill voices produced by the lead puppeteer which are spoken through a bamboo reed.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/frequent-fires-leave-anand-parbat-puppeteers-with-little-hope/article65318929.ece