Puppet Collection 2011

Rajasthani string puppetry is one of the most vibrant aspects of Indian culture. These handmade wooden puppets are much more than just plaything or decorative dolls. They are a part of the traditional performance of puppetry – narrating an event from history, myths, folklore or legend, complete with music and speech. They are the repository of traditional wisdom, knowledge and social mores. Within them are contained the oral history of the region.

The tradition of handmade string puppets of Rajasthan is more than a thousand years old. It is known as ‘Kaathputli’ (‘kaath’ means wood, and ‘putli’ is puppet, i.e. wooden puppet) and mainly practiced by the Bhat community. According to legends, the string of puppetry goes back to age of Raja Vikramaditya of Ujjain, whose Simhasan Battisi (Throne of Thirty Two) had thirty two decorative dolls sculpted in it. The first Bhat is said to have produced a play with 32 puppets on the life and achievements of king Vikramaditya. His descendants performed it for hundreds of years for other royal families, receiving great honor and acclaim.

Pup CS26	Pup CS01	Pup CS27
Pup CS16	Pup CS002	Pup CS010