Educational Puppet Workshops and Cultural Museum Tours
Bring the ancient art of Indian puppetry to life with our interactive museum tours and hands-on workshops, designed for students, families, and lifelong learners.
Guiding a group of students through the museum. Here, we are looking at our display cases, where I explain the different types of puppets and the stories they tell, making it an engaging educational experience.
Our Dhaatu Puppet Santhe offers a full day of activities. This schedule board outlines the program, which includes museum experiential tours, hands-on puppet making workshops, and live puppet shows for all ages.
An interactive session with students at our puppet theater. A young participant takes the stage to share her thoughts, demonstrating the engaging and participatory nature of our educational programs.
A group of students gathers around a small stage for a hands-on puppet demonstration. These intimate sessions allow for close interaction and give participants a real feel for how the puppets work.
A performance for students visiting as part of our India immersion program. This shows how we combine entertainment with education, using puppetry to tell stories and share cultural knowledge.
A presentation for visiting university students. We use modern tools like screen presentations alongside our traditional puppets to provide a comprehensive educational experience on Indian art and heritage.
A group photograph with students from Creighton University, USA, and St. Joseph's College, Bengaluru. These cultural exchange programs are a wonderful way to share our heritage with the world.
Visiting students and faculty pose in front of the stone chariot replica at our Mandala Cultural Centre. The centre itself is a place of learning, filled with art and architectural elements.
Students exploring the museum's collection of rod and shadow puppets. The displays are designed to be accessible, allowing visitors to get a close look at the craftsmanship of different puppet types.
An interactive moment during a workshop where students get to handle the puppets themselves. This hands-on approach is key to our teaching philosophy, making learning memorable and fun.
About Educational Programs & Workshops
When you book a workshop or museum visit at the Mandala Cultural Centre, you get more than a demonstration. In our 3-hour puppet-making session, for example, we provide every participant with a complete kit including wood, paper mache, and traditional fabrics. You don't just watch; you leave with a puppet you built yourself, gaining a hands-on understanding of the mechanics we use to tell our epics.
Our educational programs are built to bridge the gap between ancient storytelling and the modern classroom. We operate out of our center in Talaghattapura, where the museum serves as a living library of India's puppetry heritage.
For Schools and Colleges
We host groups ranging from 25 to 200 students, offering structured heritage storytelling sessions. A typical school visit includes a guided 1-hour walkthrough of our 5,000+ exhibit collection. Students see string, rod, shadow, and glove puppets from across India. We include a lecture on the history of these traditions, followed by a Q&A where we explain the mechanics of how the puppets move. For universities and international students, we offer cultural immersion tours that go deeper into the history and philosophy of Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Hands-on Workshops
Our 'karyagara' sessions are designed to move beyond theory. We guide participants through the entire creation process—from assembling the head and beads to stitching the costumes. These sessions are popular with local school groups and families alike, providing a tangible connection to the craft.
Planning Your Visit
- Group Capacity: We can accommodate up to 100 guests for private performances or larger student groups by prior arrangement.
- Logistics: The centre provides bus parking, clean restrooms, and drinking water for all visiting schools.
- Coordinators: We allocate one coordinator per 50 students to ensure every group receives personal attention and engagement during the tour.
Whether you are a teacher planning a field trip or a family looking for an afternoon of learning, we focus on sharing the wisdom and stories that have sustained this art form for centuries.
Dhaatu Puppet Theater
We are a family-run team in Bengaluru, dedicated to bringing the ancient stories of Bharat to life through our puppets. Whether we are hosting a school group for a museum tour or teaching a hands-on workshop, we share the same passion for this art form that started our journey in 2004.
Looking for a different cultural experience?
Explore other learning programs and artistic events at our centre.
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