Thirteen small books on the puppet theatres of India: string, shadow, rod and glove puppets, from Rajasthan to Kerala. Open a book to see real photographs, find out where each tradition comes from and what it brings to children, and make a puppet of your own.
Map outline: svg-maps by Victor Cazanave, CC BY 4.0. Dots mark where each tradition is best known.
Origins
Where Indian puppetry began
Puppets are one of the oldest ways of telling stories in India. Long before films and television, a puppeteer with a bundle of dolls could bring a whole epic to a village square.
Over 4,000 years ago
Toys that move
Clay figures with parts that move have been found at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. Some people think they were early puppets, or toys worked by strings.
Ancient theatre
The holder of strings
In old Sanskrit drama, the person who leads the play is the sutradhara, the holder of strings. Many scholars think the name came from puppet theatre, which may be older than plays with actors.
Through the centuries
Stories on the road
Puppeteer families travelled to villages, fairs and temples with the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and local hero tales. They carried news and songs too, and each region made puppets of its own.
Today
Keeping it alive
Many puppet families have moved to other work, and some traditions have only a few performers left. Shows in schools, festivals and museums, and children making puppets of their own, help keep them going.
Four ways to bring a puppet to life
What it brings
What puppetry brings to children
When children watch, make and play with puppets, they learn far more than a story. Here is what teachers and parents often see.
Language and voice
Children try new voices and new words, and retell stories in their own way, in their home language or a new one.
Confidence
A shy child often speaks more freely through a puppet. The puppet takes the spotlight, so the child can take a risk.
Feelings and empathy
Playing someone else helps children see through another’s eyes, and talk about worries and feelings safely.
Hands and coordination
Strings, rods and gloves build finger strength, careful control and two hands working together, which helps with writing too.
Light, shadow and making
Shadow play shows how light travels and what blocks it. Making a puppet brings drawing, cutting, colour and design together.
Heritage and teamwork
Puppets carry India’s epics, songs and languages forward. Putting on a show means planning, taking turns and working as a team.
These books are for teachers and parents to read with children aged 3 to 12. The activities are simple classroom puppets inspired by each tradition. To see the real thing, look for puppeteer families, festivals and museums near you. The photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under open licences, and each one is credited beneath the picture.
