The gallery is lit up with many backlights, for lights play the most pivotal role in transmitting the message of shadow puppetry made of leather puppets. On closer look, you'll find mythological characters, pivotal events, and figures drawn from everyday life and even colonial times, displayed on lit screens at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture. This age-old craftsmanship from Karnataka is called the Togalu Bombeyaata and the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad in collaboration with Seagull brings them to Kolkata for a special viewing till October 11 through the exhibition called Shadows of Heritage. Curated by Vijayashree CS, the exhibition meanders through the themes of mythology, social life and eroticism while tracing the journey of the craft through ages.
While shadow or leather puppets are practiced across various cultures, what makes the Togalu Bombeyaata different are, “The eyes in the profile, with perforations at the inner and outer corner as distinctive features. Moreover, these puppets are smaller in scale compared to their counterparts in other states”, mentions Vijayashree.
The Killekyata/Shillekyata communities practice this form of puppetry, where elaborate, intricate puppets are carved from cattle, deer, or goat hides, painted in vibrant colours, and range from 3 ft to 6 ft in height. These puppets can be best described as rod puppets where their movements are controlled by traditional storytellers through bamboo rods. These storytellers moved from village to village, set up their portable stages and told stories inspired from the Indian epics. With time, the kind of stories also transcended to social dramas pointing to the influence of a changing society on the craft itself.
A look through the display in Kolkata takes one back to revising their epics. From Gods and Goddesses to pivotal characters like Ravana, Surpanakha, etc, one can find them all. In fact, what is interesting are panels where the same event like a Draupadi Vastra Haran is depicted by two different puppets. The intricate differences between the two puppets need time to be read properly. This might mean that the two puppets were made by different artisans during varied timelines, with artistic influences that make the same event appear differently nuanced.
A section of the exhibition also discusses how the puppets are actually made from the hides after treating them, followed by delicate carving, intricate designs, and colour-filling. The calculative part was the placing of the bamboos to make these leather puppets truly functional. This gives rise to the inevitable question of why use a sturdy material like leather for shadow puppetry. Vijayashree responds, “The translucent quality of the parchment is ideal for bringing out the rich natural colours used in their making. Since the layer of skin is thin, it is an ideal medium for storytelling when illuminated from behind, allowing the intricate punched patterns to cast glowing, detailed silhouettes.”
But with time, every craft adapts from newer facilities. So did new materials like synthetic leather or plastic enter the field? She answers, “Yes, synthetic leather, plastic, and even OMR sheets are now being used as materials to make these puppets. There are multiple reasons for this. Particularly the changing market forces and the difficulty in getting hide or skin. Natural pigments have given way to easily artificial colours in tubes and bottles, as preparing natural colours are time-consuming and laborious. Sourcing the required raw materials for preparing pigments is also challenging.”
To this she adds the vital perspective that culture and artistic practice are constantly changing and should not be the set parameters for gauging the ‘authenticity’ of the craft. She tells, “However, I would be cautious about viewing these changes simply through the lens of authenticity. Culture and artistic practices are never static bodies of inherited knowledge; they are continually negotiated and transformed. The makers are only responding to changing economic and material circumstances. Craftsmanship has also adapted to this. Many artisans now use the techniques to produce smaller puppets for sale in craft exhibitions, lampshades, and home décor products. These adaptations are only strategies of livelihood and survival."
One can see through the display how the puppets tell a social story of evolution. What started off as mythology gave way to colonialism in India with silhouettes defining British soldiers. A set of puppets put the spotlight on the different occupations that were prevailing during the time. Moreover, women too became a subject of this craft. From dancers to royalty, different types of women were portrayed.
This evolution gives way to another conversation – the preservation and carrying forward of the art form. She mentions, “The number of families practicing this art is rapidly dwindling, with only a couple of hundred families remaining. Like many traditional crafts, the younger generation is hesitant to pursue it. This reluctance stems not just from financial reasons but also from the social stigma and lack of dignity and recognition given to the community”
But do social media take this living tradition to a wider audience? “Social media has certainly increased the visibility of leather puppets. However, the puppeteers themselves have not been able to fully harness these platforms to their own advantage. The visibility generated online does not necessarily translate into greater agency, economic benefit, or control over how the tradition is represented.”
When you step into the exhibition you will be left in awe of the beautiful objects on display. But by the time you have truly seen the puppets and understood the essence of the craft, you would realise the underlying conversations surrounding this craft. Vijayashree mentions, “The puppets become a point of entry to larger questions of material, memory, caste, labour, and custodianship. The exhibition title ‘Shadows of Heritage’ also reflects this. It has a twofold meaning. These are literally shadow puppets. It is also a metaphor about the community who have remained in the shadows; the people who are less visible than the objects and the histories that do not fit neatly into dominant narratives.”
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