Through Dhaatu International Puppet Festival, Bengaluru-based master puppeteer Anupama Hoskere curates a comprehensive view of Karnataka’s wooden puppetry, an ancient art form sustained largely by rural artists
Karnataka’s centuries-old, richly varied puppetry tradition is far from a relic — it is alive and thriving, sustained within local circuits and by dedicated arts practitioners. Initiating this revival is Bengaluru-based Anupama Hoskere, a master puppeteer, founder-director of the Dhaatu Puppet Theater, and recipient of both the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar.
She has dedicated her professional life to researching, preserving, and practising puppetry, working tirelessly to ensure this heritage continues to grow. “Puppetry is still there, but we are not alive to it. It is us who must become aware of it,” stresses Anupama. Motivated by the vision to give a platform to the cultural history of puppetry, she has been hosting the Dhaatu International Puppet Festival, an annual festival in Bengaluru, since 2009.
Talking about how she was intrigued by what she saw during her senior fellowship with the Ministry of Culture, which was about the integrated puppet theatre of India, Anupama says: “During my research, I came across in the Bhagavata a statement which says that just as the wooden puppet is played by the entertainer at will, we are all puppets in the hands of the Lord. This tells us that string wooden puppetry was already well-known during the times of the Bhagavata. She trained under Guru MR Ranganatha Rao and later trained in Marionette construction and design in the Czech Republic from Miroslav Trejtnar.
The forms of wooden puppetry
She explains that the festival showcases eight distinct forms of wooden puppetry from Karnataka: Rod puppets from Mudalapaya, Yakshagana puppets of Padalavupaya, Doddata from Ranebennur, Mudalapaya Sutrada Bombe, Eachnuru Bhagavata Shailee, Chinni Ata (hand puppets), Keelu Bombe (mechanised puppet), Taramayya Bombe (finger puppet).
Bengaluru-based Anupama Hoskere, founder-director of the Dhaatu Puppet Theater,
Elaborating on these forms, she says: “Taramayya Bombe (finger puppet) which is primarily meant for children. Keelu Bombe, which are jointed puppets used as focal points for storytelling, and can convey a range of stories, from serious to humorous Chinni Ata is for communication and satire Then there is the Salaki Bombe, the popular rod puppetry tradition, Mudalapaya Yakshagana — a classical art form — originated in the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka. Mudalapaya Yakshagana consists of several forms, including Salaki Bombe, Sutrada Bombe (string puppets), Bhagavata Shailee Bombe, which are mildly stylised string puppets, and Doddata, which is a stylised rod puppet. Mudalapaya Yakshagana has Badaga Thittu (southern) and Thenku Thittu (northern Yakshagana), which each have their distinctive style of puppetry.
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The festival shines the spotlight on lesser-known forms of puppetry, which are often not seen beyond their local circuits due to funding and patronage restraints. It gives viewers the opportunity to discover stylistic differences in movement, narration, and puppet design, unique to each region. The festival, therefore, is a living archive that closes the gap between the artists and viewers.
A bridge between urban and rural Karnataka
During her extensive tours, Anupama realised few possess such a wide range of puppets in varying sizes. “It's like an underlying current, rapidly flowing but hardly known,” says Anupama who brings together her research of puppetry of over two decades to curate this festival. However, she rues that the state government should do more to promote and preserve this ancient art form. “There is no tourism support, and not many patrons. It is largely the local communities who sustain this tradition,” she says.
At this point, it is important to note that as per media reports, puppeteers earn between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per month. However, the lack of official data on artists’ income and government budgetary allocations for puppetry makes it difficult to accurately trace the art form’s financial viability.
N.T. Murthacharya, a master of string puppets of Karnataka, with puppets.
Yet, for Anupama, the question of how the art form is “surviving” is irrelevant. She believes that any art form that has endured for thousands of years is sustainable. She adds that urban audiences often have fixed opinions because all yardsticks are not in accordance with Indian traditions. “You have to see this in the Indian context,” she asserts. “The whole festival is to see Karnataka puppetry, which is deeply rooted in our culture. If we have something to offer to the world, even before IT, it is this. Through this festival, we have built a bridge between urban and rural Karnataka. It’s a platform of exchange, where the artists and audience talk to each other.”
Puppeteers’ perspective
Artists participating in the festival trace their journey, highlighting the need to promote this art form. Mudalapaya Puppeteers from Veeranayakana Halli explain that they are not caste-based puppeteers, but rather a corporation of like-minded individuals united by their passion for puppetry. “Some of the wooden puppets are over 150 years old. I learnt puppetry from my forefathers, starting from my great grandfather,” says Gangaraju, who along with his brother, heads the Vigneshwara Yakshagana Mandali located in Tumakuru district. They hope to further refine the abhinaya aspect of their show for their next performance.
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They believe that in today’s times, puppetry plays an important role in conveying moral lessons from epics, such as the story of Markandeya (which they perform), and help people lead righteous lives. “We want Bengalureans to support puppetry instead of spending time in malls,” stresses Gangaraju.
N.T. Murthacharya, a master of string puppets of Karnataka, Mudalapaya (inland) style, says: “My main calling is to take this art form to schools. I recently engaged five schools in Mandya district.” He seeks state government support to take this further.
The Dhaatu International Puppet Festival will be held at Mandala Cultural Centre, Kanakapura Road, till January 11.
