INDIAN PUPPETRY Flashcards

1
Q
  1. The excavation sites at Harappa and Mohenjodaro have yielded puppets. Some references of marionette theatre have been found in the period around 500 B.C.
  2. The oldest written reference to puppetry is found in Tamil classic Silappadikaram.
    True/false?
A
  1. True
  2. True.
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2
Q

In the Bhagawata, God has been described as a puppeteer, controlling the universe with the three strings that are?

A

Satta, Raja and Tama.

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3
Q

Classify Puppetry of India?

A
  1. String Puppet
  2. Shadow Puppet
  3. Glove Puppet
  4. Rod Puppet.
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4
Q

Enumerate String Puppets of India?

A
  1. Kathputli
  2. Kundhei
  3. Gombeyatta
  4. Bommalattam
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5
Q

Enumerate Shadow Puppets of India?

A
  1. Tholu Bommalata
  2. Ravanchhaya
  3. Togalu Gombeyatta
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6
Q

Enumerate Glove Puppet of India?

A

Pavakoothu.

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7
Q

Enumerate Rod Puppets of India?

A
  1. Yampuri
  2. Putul Nachh.
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8
Q

Features of String Puppets?

A
  1. 8-9 inch miniature figures chiselled out of wood.
  2. Oil colour is used to paint the wood with skin colour.
  3. Small wooden pieces for limbs.
  4. Miniature jewelleries and other accessories to give realistic feel.
  5. Strings attached to small holes in the hands, head and back of the body.
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9
Q

Kathputli puppetry belongs to which state?

A

Rajasthan. Absence of legs is a unique feature.

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10
Q

Kundhei puppetry belongs to which state?

A

Odisha.

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11
Q

Features of Kundhei puppetry?

A
  1. No legs.
  2. Dressed in long skirts.
  3. More joints so more flexibility.
  4. Strings attached to a triangular prop.
  5. There is marked influence of Odissi dance on Kundhei puppet shows.
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12
Q

Puppet shows from Karnataka?

A
  1. Gombeyatta (string puppet).
  2. Togalu Gombeyatta (shadow puppet).
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13
Q

Features of Gombeyatta puppet?

A
  1. Puppets are styled and designed on the various characters of the Yakshagana theatres.
  2. More than one puppeteer is used to manipulate the puppets.
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14
Q

Bommalattam puppetry belongs to which state?

A

Tamil Nadu.

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15
Q

Features of Bommalattam Puppet?

A
  1. Combines features of rod and string puppetry.
  2. Strings are attached to an iron ring which is worn by the puppeteer on his head.
  3. They are the largest and heaviest marionettes found in India.
  4. 4.5 ft in height and 10 kg in weight.
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16
Q

Four distinct stages of Bommalattam theatre?

A
  1. Vinayak Puja
  2. Komali
  3. Amanattam
  4. Pusenkanattam.
17
Q

Features of Shadow Puppets?

A
  1. Flat figures cut out of leather.
  2. Painted identically on both sides of the leather.
  3. Puppets are placed on a white screen with light falling from behind, creating a shadow on the screen.
  4. Figures are manipulated so that the silhouettes created on the blank screen create telling imagery.
18
Q

Feature of Togalu Gombeyatta puppetry?

A

Variation of puppet size based on social status, i.e. kings and religious figures are characterised by large puppets while common people and servants are shown by smaller puppets.

19
Q

Ravanchhaya puppet belongs to which state?

A

Odisha.

20
Q

Features of Ravanchhaya puppetry?

A
  1. Puppets are made of deer skin.
  2. They do not have any joints.
  3. Use of non human puppets such as trees and animals.
21
Q

Tholu Bommalata puppets belongs to which state?

A

Andhra Pradesh. Themed around mythological and devotional tales of the epics and Puranas. The Puppets are larger in size and coloured on both sides.

22
Q

Features of Glove Puppet?

A
  1. Also known as sleeve, hand or palm puppets.
  2. They are small figures with head and arms wearing a long, flowing skirt as costume.
  3. The puppets are generally made of cloth or wood, but some variations of paper puppet has also been seen.
  4. The puppeteer wears the puppet as glove, manipulating the head with his index finger.
  5. The two hands are manipulated using the thumb and the middle finger– giving life and expression to the originally limp puppet.
  6. Usually accompanied by rhythmic beats of drum or dholak.
23
Q

Pavakoothu puppet belongs to which state?

A

Kerala.
- Puppets are decorated with colourful headgears, feathers and face paints.
- Heavy influence of Kathakali dance.
- Plays are themed around Ramayana and Mahabharata.

24
Q

Features of Rod Puppets?

A

They are larger variations of glove Puppet and are controlled by the puppeteer from behind a screen. It is mainly popular in the region of Eastern India.

25
Q

Yampuri is traditional rod puppet of?

A

Bihar.

26
Q

Features of Yampuri Puppets?

A
  1. Without any joints.
  2. They are carved out of a single piece of wood and then painted and dressed in bright colours.
27
Q

Putul Nachh puppets from which state?

A

Bengal-Odisha-Assam region.

28
Q

Features of Putul Nacch?

A
  1. They are 3-4 ft. high and dressed like characters of jatra.
  2. They generally have three joints– at the neck and at the shoulder.
  3. The puppeteers, each of whom control a single puppet by means of a rod attached to his waist, are placed behind a high curtain.
  4. The performance is accompanied by a musical troop of 3-4 musicians playing harmonium, cymbals and tabla.