Leather Puppetry

Hide is cleaned, stretched and scraped until it is translucent. The figure is traced and cut, then perforated with fine punches to create patterns for jewellery, clothing and facial detail — these holes let light through and define the image on the screen. Colours are applied with natural dyes, and jointed limbs are attached with thread so the puppet can be articulated.

Bamboo sticks are fixed to the body and arms so the puppeteer can move the figure against the screen from behind.

Shadow puppet theatre has been performed at temple festivals in Tamil Nadu for centuries, most often as a ritual retelling of the Ramayana over successive nights. The tradition is sustained today by a small number of families, and the puppets themselves have found a second life as decorative wall art. Cultural organisations and festivals now support performances outside the temple context.

Performances take place at temple festivals in Thanjavur, Madurai and the southern districts, and at cultural events organised by state and private institutions. DakshinaChitra near Chennai and Poompuhar emporiums stock puppets, and puppeteer families sell directly at craft fairs.