Puppet theatre in Karnataka

Religion and welfare of the people at large, are the underlying thoughts of folk and traditional arts in India. In the age when even Cinema-scope and magic lantern were centuries away, Puppet-shows were great crowd-pullers. Puppet-shows were arranged by the land-lords or the rich people, good crops, avoid epidemics for the welfare of their family or community at large.

Deerskin or goat-hide formed the main basis for the shadow Puppets. It was boiled, processed and figures from mythology like Ravana, Hanuman and demons were drawn and cut. For the shadow play, light behind a screen gave the required effect. Deft figures also behind the screen were moving the figures and scenes. Instrumental music and good voices sang and provided required narration. Talented artists brought mythology to life in the dead of night and the thrilled throng of people watched holding their breath. Such shows were free and held in the open space of the village temple.

The Puppet-artists formed a team and moved from village to village, during harvest season. Remuneration was in the form of grains, clothes and other provisions, provided by the sponsors or temple-committee, if it was a public show.

Tirumale Tatacharya Sharma, (1895-1973) veteran Kannada freedom fighter and journalist, has left a vivid description of such a shadow-Puppet-show in his autobiography. "Thousands" of monkey-soldiers crossed the sea to fight Ravana"s soldiers and as a child, it was a mystery how a small stage could accommodate so many soldiers! He has recorded how his grandpa, whom accompanied, explained the mechanism of a Puppet-show.

The Killekyata community had excelled in providing this "moving theatre" in towns and villages of Andhra-Karnataka border. They claim their descent from Kaliketa Bommayya a Sharana-Saint of 12th century, who moved places and spread the message of pious life and God"s grace, through anecdotes from Sivapurana. He was good singer and actor.

Such Puppet-shows were put to national cause during Indian Freedom Movement. Very few Puppet-show artistes survive today. Shri Belgallu Veeranna of Bellary is a gifted showman who has brought to life Gandhiji and his various Satyagrahas through his team. He can sing Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil songs as the occasion demands. He has toured several countries, keeping this ancient art alive.