Master the Art of Indian Puppetry: Hands-on Workshops
Experience the tradition of puppetry at our Mandala Cultural Centre. Whether you are picking up a scarf puppet for the first time or ready to carve a traditional figure, we provide a space to learn and reconnect with our roots through craft.
Our Scarf Puppet Workshop is a perfect introduction to the art for children aged 8 and above. This poster details a beginner-friendly session where participants learn the basic movements of string puppets in a fun and accessible way.
For those seeking a deeper immersion, we offer this two-week Pavakathakali Hand Puppet workshop. As the poster shows, this is an intensive course where you will learn to make the traditional hand puppets of Kerala from start to finish.
This video gives you a look at the authentic materials used in our intensive Pavakathakali Hand Puppet workshop. Master craftsman Rithesh is displaying a painted puppet head alongside the raw wooden hands and heads that students will learn to carve and bring to life, connecting them with an ancient craft from Kerala.
This video captures the successful conclusion of our Pavakathakali puppet making workshop. It showcases the beautifully finished puppets created by the participants, a glimpse of the instructor carving a head, and the complete set of characters ready for performance.
The final, most meditative step in bringing a puppet to life is painting the face. Each brushstroke adds character and soul. This is a quiet moment in my workshop where I am giving expression to a new wooden puppet, a process I am passionate about sharing with my students.
A look inside my workshop as a group of Jambavan string puppets are being prepared. This image shows the puppets after the initial carving and painting stages, waiting for their costumes and strings before they are ready for the Dhaatu Puppet Santhe.
Here is the serene, green space at Mandala Cultural Centre being set up for a hand puppet workshop. We ensure a calm and inspiring environment where students can focus on their craft, with all the necessary paints, materials, and tools ready for them.
For those serious about pursuing this art form, we offer the Puppet Pathashala. This poster announces a new batch for our long-term puppetry school, which provides regular, performance-focused classes at the Mandala Cultural Centre.
This is an invitation to the inauguration of our Pavakathakali Hand Puppet Workshop, part of the Dhaatu International Puppet Festival. These events bring together renowned scholars and artists to celebrate and support the continuation of traditional arts.
About Puppet Making Workshops: From Beginner to Advanced
Our workshops are not just about finishing a project; they are about understanding the 'why' behind every brushstroke and carving. When you sit down for a Pavakathakali session, you aren't just making a puppet. You are learning wood selection, joint articulation, and the patience required to breathe life into raw material. Expect to get your hands dirty, spend time in focused silence, and walk away with a piece of art that carries a story.
A Process of Patient Creation
At Dhaatu, we view puppetry as a medium to reach our full potential. These sessions are designed to pull you away from the virtual world and ground you in the physical act of making.
What you will experience:
- Beginner Sessions: For those new to the craft, our 3-hour scarf puppet workshops offer a gentle introduction to wood-head assembly, stringing, and basic movement techniques like walking and bowing.
- The Pathashala: For those who wish to go deeper, our Puppet Pathashala provides a structured, long-term learning environment. This is for the serious student interested in the performance aspect of the art.
- Intensive Residency: Our two-week Pavakathakali wood carving residency is where the true depth of the tradition lies. Under the guidance of master craftsmen, you will take a block of raw, seasoned wood and transform it into a professional-grade puppet, complete with traditional costumes and facial paint.
Why the Mandala Cultural Centre?
All our workshops are hosted at the Mandala Cultural Centre on Kanakapura Road. We have purposefully designed this space to be a green, quiet refuge from the city. It is here that we teach you the 'Dakshina Bharata sampradaya' (Southern tradition) of puppetry.
We encourage you to come with an open mind. The carving process can be challenging, and mastering the strings requires repetition. But that is the beauty of this work. It is an honest interaction between student, teacher, and material. You will learn shlokas, understand the iconography behind the epics, and eventually, hold a puppet that you have brought to life yourself.
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