Puppet shows from around India, Austria at Dhaatu fest

Bengaluru: Puppet shows from across India and one from Austria, a puppet parade by the artistes and their puppets, and a seminar will mark Dhaatu's International Puppet Festival from January 3 to 5.

Beginning with a seminar on the art and craft of creating puppets and the material used in their making in different parts of the country and in Austria, the festival will feature shows like Giridhar Nagar Ki Meera, a story of India's dearest woman-saint-poet Meerabai, performed by Dhaatu Puppet Theatre on Friday.

This will be followed by rod, string and hand puppet shows by troupes from Telangana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

A baroque show by an Austrian troupe will be one of the highlights of Sunday's shows, which includes productions by Dhaatu and troupes from Maharashtra and Odisha.

The festival includes a whole gamut of the art of puppetry, with the traditional handmade Pavakathakali puppet of Kerala at one end to the latest 3D printed elephants by Hindustan Petroleum Green R&D Centre.

"We will have a live display of the 3D printing of puppets," says Padma Shri Anupama Hoskere of Dhaatu, who will also present a show Chudala from Yogavashita, said to be older than the Ramayana.

The festival will showcase the wide variety of traditional puppetry forms being practised and propagated by artistes in different parts of the country.

The festival is being held at the Mandala Cultural Centre, next to the Silk Institute Metro station on Kanakapura Road.