Sanjib Kumar Sarma & Chinmoy Barman
(sanjibsarmabajali@gmail.com)
In a fast-evolving world driven by technology and digital media, preserving traditional art forms and staying connected to one’s roots are of paramount importance. The folklore and traditions passed from one generation to another carry the values and traditions of a culture.
India is regarded as the home of puppets. Puppetry originated in India and not in China, as was believed earlier. It seems almost certain that puppetry originated in India, and this performing art travelled across the seven seas to the eastern and western worlds. Puppets of different forms developed in different parts of the world. Shadow puppets have developed in China, and string puppets have originated in India. When puppetry originated, it was not recorded. It is believed puppetry started between 20500 B.C. and 30500 B.C. Excavation of Harappa and Mohenjodaro sites has revealed a number of toys whose body parts can be manipulated with strings. Among the variety of archaeological relics are a terracotta bull with a detachable head that can be manipulated by a string and a terracotta monkey that slides up and down a stick. The Ashokan rock edicts mention the Jambudweep as a puppet theatre. Kalidasa and Patnanjali talked about the dance drama, the puppet theatre, and the musical narrative of storytelling in their respective Sanskrit plays. For ages, puppetry has formed an important part of folk culture in India, particularly in the rural parts. In India, traditional puppetry is popular in villages, fairs, and festivals, which basically present their themes from popular myths, legends, and epics.
In India, the puppeteer is called Sutradhar, who manipulates puppets with sutras (strings) from inside. The best reference to string puppets is probably from the Gita, where the three qualities of the Sattah, Rajah, and Tamah found in men are the three strings pulled by the Divine to lead men in life. The Sutradhar is responsible for creating the artistic content, the modes of expression through words, sound, gestures, dress, decorations, and methods of establishing correspondence between the physical movement and speech of the puppets. With every single beat of music, when the puppet makes a movement or communicates an idea, it is not the puppet that actually reacts to the tune, but the puppeteer, or Sutradhar, who visualises and conceives the performance and thus makes the puppet dance to the tune.
Puppetry can serve as a repository of this cultural knowledge. Assam’s unique and ancient puppetry tradition known as ‘Putola Nach’ has been contributing to the rich culture it possesses. This form of string puppetry has not only entertained generations but also served as a vessel for conveying important messages to the public. But in recent times, for various reasons, Putola Nach has been facing challenges and struggling to stand the test of time. It’s time we understood the value of this art form as the integral fabric of Assam, providing a means of artistic expression and communication.
Puppetry has been an integral part of our culture since the Mahabharata era. According to the ancient myth, it is recounted that Goddess Parvati sculpted a stunning puppet and kept it in a cave, guarding it from any potential harm. Over time, Lord Shiva bestowed it with life, and it started dancing gracefully. Lord Shiva was captivated by its charm, recognised its potential to bring joy to humanity, and sent the puppet down to provide entertainment to the people on Earth. This legend surrounding puppetry throws light on the inherent objective of puppetry, which is ‘entertainment’.
Puppetry in Assam can be found in the works of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva, which we often call ‘putola nach’ or ‘putola bhaona’ overtime. Various elements from Assamese folklore, Bhaona, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana can be found as its major themes. Puppets are typically crafted from materials like sholapith, Madar tree wood, dried bamboo roots, etc. These puppets are between 1 and 3 feet in height, with separate pieces for the head, torso, and limbs, which are then joined with the help of cloth. Each puppet is equipped with strings attached to various body parts, allowing the puppeteers to bring them to life. Assam has a variety of three categories of string puppets that are still in existence. The first is called Khulia Bhoariya, which is popular in lower Assam, particularly in Kamrup and Mongoldoi. The second category is seen in Mazuli, the largest river island in the world, where the disciples of Sankaradeva established a lot of Xatras (hermitages). The third category is seen in Kalaigaon, Darang district. No matter whatever the form was, the main task of this folk art form was to entertain and educate the masses with its unique touch and appeal.
A puppet show is almost always a synthetic one, combining words and actions, puppets and their environment, music, and audio background. It is a pleasure to see that the theatre has paid much attention to music. Understanding the themes of the puppet performance makes one point very clear: all the active puppeteers have one point in common, and that is that their repertoire mostly consists of plays based on religious and mythological themes. While for some troupes, the chastity and truthfulness of ‘Raja-Harishchandra’ are the most popular themes, for others, the power of women is portrayed in the story of ‘Sati-Behula’.
Puppet dance usually takes the stories of the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas as their narratives or storylines. In addition to these, various social, economic, and other topics are also being covered for social awareness. Over the past fifty years, puppet dance in India has been reshaped through the application of new techniques. There have been some changes in the dance. This change is a good sign to keep the puppet dance art alive in Assam. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to ensure that puppet dance is not only a means of entertainment but also a means of education and livelihood. Puppet dance is studied in theory in the Departments of Anthropology, Departments of Folk Culture Research, Departments of Assamese, and Departments of Mass Communication and Journalism at various universities in Assam. There is a need for the youth to apply new ideas and techniques to revive this folk art of Assam.