Katputlis- Cloth Puppets of Rajasthan

Katputlis- Cloth Puppets of Rajasthan
Katputli is a string puppet performance and is an ancient and popular form of folk entertainment. A Kathputli essentially means a puppet made of wood. Kathputli dance and performance is one of the major tourist attractions of Rajasthan. The puppeteers who make these puppets and perform with them belong to the wandering Bhatt communities who have been performing for thousands of years. They wander around the plains of the country, roaming from village to village presenting popular stories of heroes and divinities. They would perform in front of people in exchange for remuneration in cash, livestock or a portion of the harvest. The royalty has also been fond of this form of entertainment. Thus, the Putli Bhat community settled in different kingdoms and created beautiful narrative and puppets resembling the local ruler, his wives and sons and members of the court. The narrative is usually based on tales of the
king's bravery, kindness and numerous conquests. These string puppets are usually made of mango wood and are without hands and legs. Long Skirts cover the lower half of the puppet and is not attached to the strings. The hands are stuffed with cloth and cotton and attached to the strings for manipulation. The wooden face is hand painted with large eyes and other ornaments are added to the face and the neck. While the upper portion of the female puppet is attired in the choli and odhni, the male puppets are dresses in achkan and long kurtas, taking inspiration from the Rajput Dressing Style. The vivid colors- green, orange, blue, yellow- add to the attraction and allurement of the kathputli dance. The Bhatts sing, narrate and manipulate the puppets all at the same time. The main puppeteer is the sutradhar and he is accompanied by an assistant and the musicians. This performance required very little space with two charpoys on both ends and a room to create an arch. The lighting can be provided with lamps, electricity or torches. The performer attracts attention at the right time with a whistle made out of bamboo like reed. These colorful puppets can be found on all tourist destinations and be used as decorative pieces to decorate your houses. They are cost effective and make excellent gifts. Images sourced from Google Search Engine with the term 'Katputli'