Puppetry has long been of interest in India, both for entertainment and educational purposes. The excavation sites at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have yielded puppets with sockets attached to them, which suggest the presence of puppetry as an art form. Some references to marionette theatre have been found in the period around 500 B.C. However, the oldest written reference to puppetry is found in the Tamil classic Silappadikaram, written around 1st and 2nd century B.C.
Apart from the art form, puppetry has been of philosophical importance in Indian culture. In the Bhagwata, God has been described as a puppeteer, controlling the universe with the three strings – Satta, Raja and Tama. Similarly, in the Indian theatre, the narrator was called Sutradhar, or the ‘holder of strings’.
A large variety of puppetry traditions have developed in various parts across India, each with their own distinct form of puppets. Stories from mythology, folklore and local legends were adopted.
Puppetry has imbibed elements of painting, sculpture, music, dance and drama and has created a unique avenue of artistic expression.
However, the lack of devoted audience and financial security has led to a steady decline of this art form in modern times.
Puppetry in India can be broadly classified into four categories. A brief outline of each with some prominent examples are given as follows:
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| Classification of Puppetry in India |