Puppeteers outshine abroad, but dying in India

Puttaparthi (Sri Sathya Sai district): The 200-year-old legendary Nimmalakunta village in Puttaparthi mandal is making all efforts to make its voice heard. It has been promoting the ancient art form for more than seven generations.

Nimmalakunta, a tiny village on the way to Puttaparthi, once used to attract tourists and foreigners.

Tourists, who travel by car, used to stop at the cultural village and visit the artistes and purchase puppets which tell stories unknown to them. They would also enrich the artisans extending gifts and appreciating their talents. Inland tourists would collect their addresses and later invite them for performances.

While the State and Central governments are paying only lip service to the dying art, lack of people’s patronage is the de-motivating factor for infusing new life into the once popular art of puppetry, which ruled the roost.

The artists, who regaled the audience with their impressive puppet shows and made a living for almost two centuries are today on the verge of giving up their ancestral art due to fading patronage from the general public. The one consolation for the village, with more than 50 families of puppet artists, is that they get invitations through the Ministry of Cultural Affairs from countries abroad for Indian and Western audiences. The Union Ministry of Cultural Affairs is responsible for their invitation now and then to countries like Germany and USA.

Central and State governments, through DRDA and Information departments, have been engaging the cultural teams in various performances within the State and also in other States like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and Karnataka.

Sivaparvathamma and her team, who had been to Italy in the past, told The Hans India that foreign audiences enjoyed their performances very much and were especially amused by the mythological characters of Ravana, Rama and Hanuman.

Chalapathi Rao, an artist who visited Germany in the past, was elated at the response of foreign audience to their shows and also by the lifestyles and development in those countries. He stated that he had been to new worlds he never dreamed of and thanked his stars. Rama Krishna, who gave performance in USA a few years ago, expressed his gratitude to the government for resurrecting the old art form. Another artist, Kulayappa, says that he had been to Mysore, Tirupati and other metro-cities and gave performances.

More than 50 artist families are urging the Department of Tourism and other government departments to build an artisan village and help the artistes thrive.