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Indian Puppetry

String puppets (Rajasthan), shadow puppets (Andhra), rod puppets (Bengal) โ€” ancient Indian tradition

India ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ 500 BC Folk & Performing Arts

Key Facts

  1. 1

    Kathputli (Rajasthan): wooden string puppets depicting folk tales and Rajput stories

  2. 2

    Tholu Bommalata (Andhra): shadow puppetry โ€” leather puppets backlit against screen, stories from epics

  3. 3

    Putul Nautch (West Bengal): rod puppets; Yampuri (Bihar): string puppets; all at risk from globalisation

๐ŸŽจ Did you know? UNESCO inscribed Kutiyattam (Kerala's Sanskrit theatre) in 2008 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage โ€” the world's oldest living theatre tradition

Quick Reference

Category

Folk & Performing Arts

Country

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ India

Year / Era

500 BC

About

String puppets (Rajasthan), shadow puppets (Andhra), rod puppets (Bengal) โ€” ancient Indian tradition