Hands-on Puppet Making Workshops in Delhi
Learn the ancient craft of Kathputli puppetry. I will guide you through every step, from wood carving to final stringing, to bring your own puppet to life.
A student learns the first and most crucial step: wood carving. I teach the proper way to hold the tools and slowly shape a block of wood into a puppet head, a skill that is the foundation of our craft.
This video shows students deeply focused during a wood carving session. Everyone works at their own pace, feeling the wood and bringing their own character to life from a simple block.
Here, we are working with papier-mâché, an alternative to wood. This video shows the 'paper messy' stage of the workshop, where we build up layers to create a strong and lightweight puppet head.
This is a puppet head after the papier-mâché has been applied and dried, ready for the next stage. You can see the basic facial features have been formed, creating a blank canvas for painting.
A close-up of a finished papier-mâché head. The texture is rough and full of character before any paint is even applied. This method allows for a lot of creativity in the final look.
Day 9 of our workshop is for painting. A student carefully adds color and detail to the puppet's face, which is the moment the character truly starts to show its personality. We also begin making the small clothes.
The final step is giving the puppet life with new strings. In this video, we are attaching the strings and I am performing a small blessing, a tradition we call 'Nayi Zindagi, Nayi Dor' which means 'New Life, New String'.
This video shows different moments from our carving and papier-mâché workshop with students from Germany. It shows the focus and dedication required as they learn to work with their hands to create art.
This video montage shows the entire journey of a workshop, from students carving and painting to me blessing the finished puppet. It ends with a happy group photo, celebrating the new puppets they have created together.
A video celebrating World Puppet Day, showing the joy of making and sharing this art form. You can see students learning, me performing with a finished puppet, and the community that this craft builds.
About Puppet Making Workshops
This is not just a craft session. We follow the traditional path, starting with raw mango wood or papier-mâché. You will learn to carve the facial features, stitch the costumes, and finally, attach the strings in a ceremony we call 'Nayi Zindagi, Nayi Dor'—which means giving new life to your creation.
People often tell me that puppetry is a dying art. My answer is always the same: Art kabhi marta nahi hai (Art never dies), the people who practice it might just stop listening. I invite you to my home in the Kathputli colony to learn the craft, not just as a hobby, but as a living tradition.
What You Will Learn
In these workshops, I strip away the shortcuts. Whether you are an absolute beginner or an artist looking for a new medium, we start from scratch.
- Wood Carving: We work with mango or medicinal wood. You will learn how to hold the chisel, read the grain of the wood, and carve a character out of a block. It takes patience and focus.
- Papier-mâché: For those who prefer a different texture, we use paper pulp to build lightweight, durable heads that can be painted with high-contrast expressions.
- Costume & Assembly: Every puppet needs a personality. We stitch traditional Rajasthani attire using bright fabrics, gota patti work, and velvet.
- Stringing: This is the most crucial part. We attach high-tensile cotton strings to a bamboo loop system. This is where I perform the blessing, 'Nayi Zindagi, Nayi Dor', marking the moment the object becomes a performer.
Why Join?
I have taught students from all over—Delhi, France, Germany—and the joy of making a puppet is universal. You walk away with your own handmade puppet and the knowledge of the techniques we have used for generations. We don't just teach the mechanics; we teach the storytelling. Come with curiosity, and be ready to get your hands messy. It is a slow, meditative process, and that is exactly how it should be.
Aakaar Puppet Theatre
I am Puran Bhat, and I believe art never dies if we keep it in our hands. My home in Delhi’s Kathputli colony is where I teach the old ways—not just how to make a puppet, but how to respect the wood and cloth that form it.
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