The modest hall at the Jai Bheem auditorium near Lalbagh Road was empty, except for a single screen in the middle. Later in the evening, it would come alive with dramatic colours and stories. It was the scene for a performance of Thorpaavaikoothu, roughly translated to leather puppetry. At the performance in Bangalore, organised by the Kalari Art and Heritage Trust, run by writer Harikrishnan, artist Ammapettai Ganesan performed the story of Harischandra.
Ganesan comes from a family of puppeteers, and has been part of the tradition full-time since he was seven years of age. “I never thought of doing anything else,” he said. He is from the Ammapet area in Salem.
By the time he was 22, he had learnt what he needed to know to give individual performances. Besides manipulating the puppets, he also picked up the musical accompaniment – percussion and harmonium – that was needed for the form. And to complete the truly do-it-yourself ethic, he also makes the leather puppets and other costumes required for the characters.
As is typical for a folk form, there is no formal training; nothing is even written down and everything is passed orally, Harikrishnan informs me. “It is just from family to family, in the parampara.”
“I watched my parents and learnt,” affirms Ganesan. Besides the story of Harischandra, he is adept at other mythological tales from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The puppetry tradition thrived in the temple festivals held in villages. Shows typically happen in the night time, and Ganesan typically gets to perform about ten nights in a month.
The performances are intimately related to their context, usually as part of a village-wide ritual for rains. “Each story is tied up to the beliefs of the villagers. Some stories are specifically tied to a prayer for rain; some others to drive away black magic.
But the number of temple festivals has been dying down, Harikrishnan informs me, and so the art has been hit, as well. “Income is very irregular for the artists. Many don’t even have pensions.”
Each story is tied up to the beliefs of the villagers. Some stories are specifically tied to a prayer for rain
