Traditional Indian Puppet Shows and Epic Storytelling
We bring ancient epics to life with intricate hand-crafted puppets. From string and shadow puppetry to vibrant folk tales, our shows are an invitation to rediscover Bharat’s timeless wisdom.
A puppeteer skillfully manipulates a string puppet from above the stage. This view shows the technique and focus required to make the puppet dance and express emotion, bringing the character to life for the audience below.
Two of our intricately dressed string puppets interact on stage during a performance. The detailed costumes and expressive faces are hallmarks of our traditional puppetry style, designed to tell stories from Indian folklore.
A look behind the curtain during rehearsals for our show "Chudaala". This video shows our team preparing various puppets, including string puppets and even a young child learning the craft, highlighting that our theater is a space for all generations.
Here are the puppets for our "Ramayana Saptaswara" show, waiting backstage before a performance. This collection gives a sense of the scale of our productions and the variety of characters involved in telling this epic tale.
With over 108 puppets, our "Ramayana Saptaswara" is one of our grandest productions. This video pans across the many characters, from heroes to demons, each crafted to play their part in the epic saga.
This collage captures moments from our Dhaatu International Puppet Festival. It shows scenes from the children's performance of "Peddamma Dosa Angadi" and the young puppeteers who brought the story to life.
A collage from our international puppet festival, featuring a variety of puppetry styles. You can see modern hand puppets, shadow puppetry, and even performances that blend puppetry with human actors, showcasing the global diversity of this art form.
About this collection
When we stage our grander productions like the Ramayana Saptaswara, we manage over 100 hand-crafted puppets simultaneously. This is not just a performance, it is a coordinated effort of movement, voice modulation, and traditional music that requires months of rehearsal, ensuring that every character, from the heroes to the demons, retains its distinct presence on stage.
Our puppetry goes beyond simple entertainment. We see ourselves as conduits for ancient wisdom, utilizing stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata to engage audiences across generations. Whether you are looking for a string puppet performance that mimics the grace of human movement or the atmospheric silhouettes of traditional Tholpavakuthu shadow puppetry, we bring a high degree of technical precision to every show.
We perform regularly at our cultural hubs in Banashankari and Talaghattapura, but our team also travels to bring the 'rasānanda', the joy of aesthetic, to schools, private functions, and community gatherings. Because we craft our own puppets, we can adjust the storytelling, adapting the length and complexity of the show to suit everything from intimate family gatherings to large-scale cultural festivals.
If you are planning an event, we encourage you to discuss the specific narrative arc you are interested in. We do not just perform, we design an experience that connects your audience to the deeper roots of our cultural heritage.
Dhaatu Puppet Theater
We are a family-led team at Dhaatu, bound by a shared love for the magic of storytelling. Ever since 2004, we have poured our hearts into keeping ancient traditions alive, making sure that every puppet that takes the stage has a real story to tell.
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Explore more of our craft workshops and museum programs.
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