Leather puppetry

LEATHER PUPPETRY

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION REPORT Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Craft Design Project of Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories Department at National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad.

Students name: Aprajita Gaurav,Arundhati Sagar, Braj Bhushan Kumar,Kasini Vikas, Pulkit Saraswat, Ramya Koduri, Rohit Kumar,Snehlata Sinha,Upasana Bahuguna.

Faculty guide: Mr.G.M Reddy Asst. Professor

Sept. 2011 National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the following students of Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories Department at National Institute of Fashion Technology – Hyderabad of batch 20092013, semester – V, have carried out their craft design project titled Leather puppetry on 17th-24th September 2011 at Nimmalkunta, Andhra Pradesh, India as part of their course curriculum and have fulfilled the requirements set by the institute and the evaluation jury. Their work has been found satisfactory.

Aprajita Gaurav Arundhati Sagar Braj Bhushan Kumar Kasini Vikas Pulkit Saraswat Ramya Koduri Rohit Kumar Snehlata Sinha Upasana Bahuguna

Mrs.Lakshmi Reddy

Professor

(Faculty Guide)

Mr.G.M.Reddy Asst. Professor (CIC, NIFT, Hyd.)

Mr. Avinash Raipally Asst. Professor (Centre Coordinator)

Mr. E. Venkat Reddy(IFS)

(Registrar)

Dr. K.S.Pratap Kumar(IPS) (Director)

Copyright Š 2011 by National Institute of Fashion Technology.

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and scanning or other wise in any form without the written permission of the copyright owners.

Design: Aprajita Gaurav,Arundhati Sagar, Braj Bhushan Kumar,Kasini Vikas, Pulkit Saraswat, Ramya Koduri, Rohit Kumar,Snehlata Sinha,Upasana Bahuguna Printed at Hyderabad, India.

‘Tolu bommalata’

Sponsored by Lepakshi

Sponcered by Lepakshi

Acknowledgement T

he completion of this document would not have been possible without the combined efforts of our experienced and knowledgeable faculty Professor Lakshmi Reddy and our group members.

We express our gratitude to Asst.Professor G.M Reddy who accompanied us to the field in Annantpur. It was under his guidance and mentorship that we could successfully plan and carry out our required tasks to complete our survey comprehensively.

We would like to greatly express our appreciation towards the craftsmen and their families for taking out their valuable time for us.

We highly appreciate the patience and willingness of the Artisan in teaching their craft to us.

We deeply thank our college NIFT Hyderabad to provide us this opportunity to visit the clusters and experience this magnificent craft, first hand.

We would finally like to thank Lepakshi for most willingly sponsoring our cluster project.Thank you.

Preface Indian handicrafts are an emerging contributor to the economy of our country. They are also responsible for feeding many mouths. The importance of this word goes far beyond, into the exhaustive experience of witnessing the birth of an ‘artefact’ by the hands of the craftsman and how the art is kept alive through every single attempt with the idea of getting a complete insight into one such sphere. We have been fortunate to interact with the craftsmen of leather puppetry in detail who have made us sensitive towards the efforts that have been put into sustaining the exquisite crafts. This document, is therefore is our endeavour to make people aware of the existing state of this craft, and to whatever extent it succeeds in doing so, we would consider it a pleasant accomplishment.

Contents Topics

Pg No.

1.

Introduction..............................................

1

2.

Geography & Demography...................

2-7

3.

Travel Details.............................................

8-9

4.

Lifestyle of craftsman...............................

10-15

5.

History of Leather puppetry.....................

16-19

6.

Tools and Techniques...............................

20-25

7.

Process of making leather products......

26-32

8.

Now and then..........................................

33-36

9.

Market analysis of leather pupetry........

37-44

10.

Our experience........................................

45-48

11.

Craft based design development..........

49-58

12.

Conclusion................................................

59-61

13.

Glossary.....................................................

62- 64

14.

Bibliography..............................................

65

Introduction In the twenith century, the art of puppetry flourished in Andhra Pradesh, narrating stories of divinity, sometimes taking the divine dimensions itself. Stories from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were performed which went on for several nights.

The puppet shows had something for everyone - divine epics for the devout, and comic relief for the distracted. Puppetry is still practiced today, especially during festival occasions, although not many puppeteers practice this art nowadays.Leather shadow puppetry of Andhra Pradesh is known as Tolu Bommalata, (Tolu – leather, Bommalata – puppet dance).

We take you on a journey sitting on the contours of epical creatures and figures which are brought to life by the leather puppeteers and their magic brush.

There are two other kinds of shadow puppetry which are practiced in Andhra Pradesh, they are; the Sutram Bommalata (String puppets) and the Koyya Bommalata (Wooden ppets). The leather puppets because of their transparency and jewel like glow are very popular.

Madhavapatnam, near Kakinada, D.C. Palli in Nellore district, Nimmala Kunta in Anantapur district and Narasaraopet in Guntur district are the main centres for leather puppetry..

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Geography and Demography of the cluster Historical Background

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nantapur offers some vivid glimpses of the prehistoric past. It is generally held that the place got its name from ‘Anaatasagaram’, a big tank, which means or “Endless Ocean”. The villages of Anaantasagaram and Bukkarayasamudram were constructed

by Chilkkavodeya, the minister of Bukka, a Vijayanagar ruler. Some authorities assert that Anaantasagaram was named after Bukka’s queen, while some contend that it must have been known after Anantarasa Chikkavodeya himself, as Bukka had no queen by that name.

Topography

A

nantapur District lies between 13’-40’ and 15’-15’ Northern Latitude and 76’-50’ and 78’-30’ Eastern Longitude.

The District is divided into 3 Natural Divisions.

They are Northern Mandal of Rayadurg, Kanekal, Beluguppa Gooty, (Nimmal kunta village, Anantapur)

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Guntakal, Vajrakarur, Uravakonda, Vidapanakal, Yadiki, Tadipatri, Putlur and Yellanur containing larger areas of Black Cotton soils. Secondly Kalyandurg, Kambadur, Settur, Brahmasamudram, Ramagiri, Kanaganapalli,C.K.Palli, Dharmavaram, Bathalapalli, Tadimarri, Mudigubba, Anantapur, Kudair, Pamidi and Peddavadugur are in the centre and are mainly made up of an arid treeless expanse of poor Red Soils, thirdly High Level Land of Penukonda, Roddam, Somandepalli, Hindupur, Lepakshi, Chilamathur, Madakasira, Rolla, Gudibanda and Agali which connects with the Mysore Plateau at higher elevation of the rest of the District. This part has an average sandy red soil of normal productivity.

Boundaries

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t is bodered by Bellary, Kurnool District on the North, Cuddapah and Kolar District of Karnataka on the south east and north respectively. The district is roughly oblong in shape, the longer side running North to South with a portion of Chitradurg District of Karnataka State intruding into it from west between Kundurpi and Amarapuram Mandals.

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Rainfall & Climate

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he District of Anantapur is at a fairly good elevation from sea level which provides it with tolerable climate throughout the year. It has a gradual rainfall from the South west towards the valley of Pennar in Peddavadugur, Peddapappur and Tadipatri Mandals.

The normal rainfall of the district is 553.0 mm by which it secures least rainfall when compared to Rayalaseema and other parts of Andhra Pradesh.

The normal rainfall for the South West Monsoon period is 338.0 mm which forms about 61.2% of the total rainfall for the year. The failure of the rains in this South West monsoon period of June to September will lead the District to drought by failure of crops. The rainfall for North East monsoon period is 156.0 mm only, which forms 28.3% of the total rainfall for the year (October to December). The other months are almost dry. March, April and May are warm months when the normal daily maximum temperature ranges between 29.1 C to 40.3 C. November, December and January are

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cooler months when the temperature falls to about 15.7 C, Hindupur, Parigi, Lepakshi, Chilamathur, Agali, Rolla and Madakasira Mandals being at a High Elevation are more cooler than the rest of the Mandals in the District.

Population

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here are 929 inhabited villages, out of 964 are revenue villages of the District. The number of villages in group size of 500 to 1999, forms 36.71% of the total inhabited villages .

The size group of 2,000 to 4,999 forms 38.64% and the group size of 5,000 to 9,999 forms 12.81% only out of total villages. While 84 villages ( 9.04%) of total inhabited villages are having population less than 500. There are 26 villages with more than 10,000 population excluding Towns.

The village of Puttapathy is situated at a distance of 14 kms. from Hindupur town in Lepakshi Mandal. This place is a famous pilgrim centre known for its Veerabhadra Temple and the huge stone “NANDI� which stands nearby. The place is also associated with the devotees of Lord Sri Ram. The Temple is a veritable treasure of sculpture and architecture.

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(Annantpur, despite being a village is equippet with all the latest civic amenities)

Large number of pilgrims visit the place on “Shivratri” and other saivite festival days.

Puttapathy

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his village is on the banks of Chitravathi is situated at a distance of about 29 kms. from Penukonda. It is the abode of Puttaparthy Sri Sathya Sai Baba, drawing devoted disciples from all over the world. There is Prasanthi Nilayam (an Ashram) constructed by the devotees. The Baba is credited with acute powers. On Shivarathri, on the birth day of the Baba and particularly during Dussehra, quite a large number of devotees visit the place. A beautiful mantapa by the name of ”Poornachandra” was constructed in which a large number of Baba devotees assemble and perform “Bhajana” on festival days.

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Travel Details W

e took an 11:00 p.m. clock bus at night from Hyderabad to Dharmavaram, Antantapur district. After the tiring night’s journey of 5 and a half hours we found our accomodation at B.N Swami Lodge which charged Rs.350 a night.We took three rooms , one room being shared by three people. Anantpur is also called ‘The Silk city’ as it is famous for its silk. Even though it’s specialty is in silk we came here for it’s unique craft of leather puppetry.

Our main areas of study were the villages of Dharmavaram and Nimmalkunta.

The small town had nothing but this lovely craft living in the midst of it’s heart.The living expenses were very affordable, rather cheap for us to spend six days there. We all entered Dharmavaram at 6:00 a.m. in the morning and headed for our pre-booked Lodge, followed by a lot of catching up on our sleep. We all had satisfactory ‘Dosas’ for twenty rupees and commenced our journey to learn the craft. We commuted by auto for five rupees per person and our field of work was also not very far away.

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Lifestyle of the craftsmen

he lifestyle of the craftsmen in Anantpur is very simple. We visited craftsmen in Dharmavaram and Nimmalakunta. A few of the craftsmen there had even won National awards and had been invited by the state to their exhibitions in different parts of Andra Pradesh and similarly by other states in different parts of India.

They were also invited to Spain, Germany, South Africa, United States of America, Paris, London and Amsterdam representing our country. They performed puppet shows and also participated in exhibitions over there.

These craftsmen were sponsored by the Government of India by the I.R.D.A. (Indian Rural Development Association) for encouraging and also mobilizing them.

Despite having the exposure of visiting different countries and different parts of India they are still very simple in their way of living.

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These craftsmen have a very rich culture and beliefs in terms of tradition and cultural heritage. They have faced times where they couldn’t even afford basic necessities of life and therefore in today’s date when they have everything even then they live a very simple life and are thankful to God for what they have.

The craftsmen in Dharmavaram were a little adamant as compared to the craftsmen in Nimmalakunta. The craftsmen in Nimmalakunta were more flexible and broadminded.

Whatever suggestions that we had given to the craftsmen in Nimmalakunta, they actually heard us out and thought about it positively. Other than that these craftsmen really believed in God and also took inspiration from the Idols and figures of different Gods likeGanesha, Krishna, Lord Shiva, Rama, Goddess Laxmi, Parvati, Saraswati, Hanuman Ji and so on. They also took inspiration from nature like flowers, trees, leaves, peacocks, butterflies and other animals like Tiger, Lion, Birds, Fish, Mouse, Elephants etc. These craftsmen were very welcoming and helpful. They gave us their entire time whenever we went to their houses.

Entrance of the artisan’s house

Youngest person of the craftsman’s family

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They lived in separate houses but in joint families. Each family had an old person who was the eldest in the house and he/she took all the decisions.

They used to get up early in the morning at 6:00 a.m., pray to god, send their children to school and before starting their work they eat a good meal. Throughout the day they would devote themselves to their work as it is their livelihood. They do their work with dedication and sincerity. Even the smallest of task , they did with a lot of patience. For any work that they did, they did it with respect and honesty.

The prayer room

They treated their work like God and made sure that the work place was clean and proper. This kind of craftsmanship is carried on by traditions from their ancestors to the current generation and so on. The people over there wore simple clothes ,nothing flashy or loud.

They were very down to earth and friendly.

Locality of the cluster

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LANGUAGE AND RELIGION

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ain language spoken in the district are telugu,urdu, hindi, marathi.

The main religions followed were hinduism,islam, christianity, jainism, sikhism.

Durga pooja

FESTIVALS

M

ost commonly celebrated festivals in the district are Ugadi, sri Ram Navmi, Nagula,Varalaxmi Vartam, Sri Krishna Jayanti, Vinayak chaviti,Mahalaya Amavasya ,Dussera,deepawali,Mahashivratri and Holi.

Ramzan,Bakrid,Moharam,Milad-un-Nabi, Peer-e-dastgiri and shab-e-barat, New year,s day, good fridays and Christmas.

Dussera celebrations

Ugadi-The telugu New Year

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Ugadi-The telugu New Year

products stalked up in his work area

Households in Dharmavaram, Anantapur

Our survey through many craftmen’s houses

Foor storage

Going down the memory lane...

History of leather puppetry

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he art of leather puppetry is a part of Indian folk tradition. It has enriched Indian culture, thus attracting worldwide attention.

From historical records it may be safely inferred that the varied forms of puppet art prevalent in many parts of Asia owe their origin to this hoary tradition. The ancient art which is deeply rooted in the soil of this land has been imparting a fair idea of myths and legends to the common folk. It may be presumed that due to a firm belief that human beings should not adorn the roles of gods and goddesses, leather puppets have gained singular importance. Though this puppet tradition reached its peak through the patronage of Sathavahnas (2 century A.D) Chalukyas (543- 757 A.D) Rashtrakutas (10th cent AD) and Vijayanagar (15th cent AD).

Folk art is the source of all arts. The varied forms of India have won world wide recognition. The art of leather puppetry has a history of nearly 15 centuries.

Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya

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It has extended its influence to many far eastern countries, even today representing our glorious culture in those parts.

The art of leather puppetry has two distinct variations like visual aspects and its performing counterpart, together completing each other and contributing to enriching its purpose.

The puppeteers of Andra Pradesh for ages have kept this art alive, all the time helping people, in understanding and appreciating its rich historical and mythological ramifications.

Many are the parties who have become a part of the ethos. Their names have become immortal. Through an edict dated 1208 AD we come to know that 2 donors, Virapulla Kondappa and Gondappa, gifted a village to Bommalaiah. This reflects the high status and recognition that leather puppetry enjoyed during that period. In 1521 one Bommalata Kala was among the ones close to king Sri Krishna Dev Rai, due to his expertise. In a report numbered 1921 AR 316 one Chandramaiah and leather puppetry artist Amrutha Kavi are known to have donated Chidipirala village near Kamalpura to one Pidachittaiah. Culture in Andra Pradesh has expressed itself in multi-mutinous forms all along its career from the dim part till our own day.

Shadow puppetry show with leather puppets in progress.

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Small leather puppets

Most of these forms have characteristic individuality of their own, manifesting an idiom peculiar to the land. Various art forms like music, dance & drama drawing painting , sculpture and crafts in our ancient and medieval literature. But it is unfortunate that many of these art forms have either completely disappeared or are on the verge of disappearance.

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Their secret and sacred weapons...

Tools and Techniques T

here are different ways of using leather and handling it. Leather is processed, treated, cut and can be coloured, painted etc. The different types of tools and techniques involved in making of the final leather products are as follows:

Cheerna- It is a tool that is used for cutting goat leather according to the required design or pattern and even for making textures or drawing( before painting) . This tool is very useful as maximum work is done with the help of this.

Cheerna

Gorgolu- Gorgolu is a tool that is used

to remove hair from the leather at the time of its preparation. It can also be used to smoothen the surface,before starting any drawing on products. This tool can also be used as an eraser in this case, if the paint gets smudged or spread while drawing.

Gorgolu

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Charkatti- This is a metallic tool that is used to make lines and curves on leather.

Leather Thread- Leather thread is made from goat leather and is used to do stitching on the joints of lamp shades and other products like wall hangings.

Charkatti

Punching Tools- (Riveting tools) It is with the

help of these tools that we can create different types of textures on the leather panels or products.

Needle- It is a tool that is used for piercing designs on leather and even used for stitching purpose.

Bamboo Stick- (Rakini Bamboo Stick) These bamboo sticks are used like a pen/ brush that is used to make motifs or designs on the leather. It is either made up of bamboo stick or made of any other wood.

Leather thread

Waterproof Brush- The brush are

purchased by them from the market, Camel waterproof brushe are used and they are used to color the lamps, puppet and other such products.

Bamboo stick

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Fibre Board- This board is similar to the one

that we use for cutting vegetables on, but in this case it is used as a base to cut leather, create textures and tp make piercings on it.

Work gets easier with the help of this.

Oil Stone (Silicon Carbide)- This stone is

used to sharpen the tools by scraping the edges of their tips.

Hathora: (or hammer) It is used to beat the

part to be chiselled for piercing, punching etc.

Oil stone

Fibre sheet

Hammer

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Difference between Industrial Leather and Normal Leather(the one that the artisans make).

Natural leather

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nlike normal leather, in Industrial leather they mix chuna in the making process so that it becomes white in colour, but due to this its life span reduces. With normal goat leather they do not mix anything therefore it’s durable and lasts long. For the making of leather puppets normal leather is used as it has transparency properties due to which colour used for painting is visible clearly when light is focused. Industrial leather is not used for making puppets, but for products like, wall clocks, lamps, table decorations etc.

Industrial leather

Drawing ink (black)

COLOURS

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ith the growing times and developing world, the artisans have also lost their authentic way of colour making. Nowadays they are using black drawing ink and natural transparent colours prepared by ‘camel’ the colour company.They also use paint brush for the finishing touches, if required.

Natural camel colors

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Leather puppets set against sun light. Their translucency is a major element in their asthetics

‘The Making’

Process of making Leather Puppets The process of making leather

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he leather that is used for the craft is not chemically toned rather it is a traditional process of drying that has been continuing since years. The first preliminary step towards making of the puppets is collecting the raw material. In this case it is the goat skin which is purchased from local Sunday market .The rates may vary from Rs 300 to Rs 500 depending upon the size and the quality of the goat.

To make it suitable for the leather preparation process, it is soaked overnight in cold water.

Raw goat skin

STEP 1: Rinsing: Washing and rinsing of the skin with cold water to remove the unwanted dirt particles.

STEP 2: Slitting: The skin is then cut from the centre line for convenience in further process.

Rinsed,washed goat skin.

STEP 3: Removal: The step involves removal of fats, flesh or hair that comes of easily by hand.

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Step 4: Temperature selection: This involves testing the temperature of warm water for removal of hair.

If the water for hair removal is too hot, then the skin crumbles whereas cold water does not remove hair. With accurate temperature, the hair comes off very easily when scrubbed after being dipped into the water. The entire skin is then soaked and checked regularly.

Step 5: Removal of hair :The skin after soaking is stretched on a flat stone. It is then extensively rubbed with fingers to release the hair. In case the hair doesn’t come off easily, a knife like tool , Charkatti is used.

Soaked goat skin in luke warm water

Step 6: Sun-drying: The skin is sun-dried over cloth for 2-3 hours .This involves two kinds of processes: (a) The skin is left flat and un stretched on the ground this results in leather that is more transparent which is used for making puppets. (b) The skin is stretched over the ground with the help of nails that are planted on a platform or base .This leather is more opaque & is used exclusively for making lamps and other such products.

Removal of hair

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Product making process

N

immalkunta is a famous place for making leather products such as puppetry, wall hangings, lampshades, wall painting, vases, partition screens, light holders etc. Their form of art is popularly known as ‘Tolu Bommalu’ in Telugu.

It is one of the earliest forms of performing arts.

They use goat leather to make products. Firstly they buy goat skin from the butcher shop and then go for their treatments. They wash the goat skin with warm water and stretch the skin for drying for 3 days. They use two kinds of leather.

Streatched goat skin after hair removal for drying.

Home-made leather: - This type of leather is washed in warm water and dried in shade for translucent effect so that light can easily pass through it.

Industrially processed leather: - In this process leather is mixed with ‘chuna’ i.e calcium carbonate and is kept in sun for 3 days. After 3 days of treatment the leather gets ready for use.

By the time skin gets dried they prepare frames for the lamp shades, light holders and floor lamps. They get the frames welded from the welders in 50 rupees per frame.

Goat leather ready for work

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Puppet making

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Outlining

utlining: The design is outlined with the help of a pencil and then followed by sketching it with black ink.

P

attern cutting: The design is then cut across the edges to get the design form of a puppet.

The different parts of a puppet for instance; hands and legs are made separately and then attached to the body.

Pattern cutting

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rawing and ornamentation: By drawing we mean motifs that are inspired by pictorial heroes, gods. Minute and elaborate shapes are punched to mark out gorgeous costumes and jewellery.

Piercing (Ornamentation)

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oloring: Water proof colours are filled on to the sketch. Traditionally the vegetable dyes are prepared by the craftsmen for colouring purposes. Since it involves a tedious procedure, they are not preferred any longer. To improve colour fastness, the figures are polished with groundnut or coconut oil with a piece of cloth.

A

ttaching: Small holes are made wherever the parts are to be attached. These parts are then secured together with a thick knotted string to facilitate easy movement and the required 29

Coloring

Attaching

Mounting of industrial leather on the wire frames

Outlining on the mounted leather

dramatic effect. The joints are at the shoulder, elbows, hips and neck.

A split bamboo is then used for the main central support, which runs down to the spine to where the thumb and forefinger join to form a ring. The dancing puppets, mostly female should have extra joints at the waist and head, which are separately attached by a stick and a thick loose string to the shoulders for greater mobility.

Making leather Lampshades:

A

fter the welding is done they do mounting on the frames with the processed goat leather and the edges are stitched with leather threads and stuck with the glue. After that they make floral patterns on it. The floral patterns are always in repetitive form. They use pencil or cheerna for making designs on the leather and then black Indian ink to make the outline of the pattern with a bamboo stick .They make a slit/ cut in the bamboo sticks so that when they dip ink in it, it holds ink for a longer time. They don’t use ink pens because it does not work on the leather. After the outline of the design is made colouring is started by using camel colours and is kept for drying.

Piercing & Punching

Colouring

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Making of wall paintings :

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all paintings are made in long square sheets of height, three feet to six feet.

After the processing of the leather, wall paintings are directly made on the screen with the help of cheerna or a pencil and then outline is given to it with Indian ink. Generally floral patterns and characters from the mythological stories are sketched to explain the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Punching, piercing and holes are made at the desired places and then colouring is done.

This is normally made on both the sides of the screen so that the light passes through it and it looks colourful.

A leather painting depicting the life of Lord Krishna.

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Variety of Leather product

Now & Then L

eather puppetry was first started in Vijayanagara under the concern of king, Krishna Deva Raya. After that it spread over other states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka etc) and got vanished in Vijayanagara. In Andhra Pradesh it is continuing in Dharmawaram and Nirmankunta in Anantapur district.

Previously they used to use deer skin for making leather because it was easily available and was of very good quality. Now they use goat skin for making the leather. They stopped using deer skin because government put a restriction on killing any wildlife.

So they use goat skin for leather making.

The colour used by them in ancient time was pure natural colour. They used to use red, black and green colour for the colouring of their puppets. Now they use artificial colours for colouring of their puppets. They use camel waterproof drawing colours.

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Previously they used to make puppets for their entertainment purpose only and not for selling purpose. But now they have become more commercialised and are making leather products like lamp shades, wall lamps, clocks, table tops etc. purely for the purpose of selling. Now they do less puppet shows as compared to ancient times instead there is an admission fee when they are doing these shows.

Preparation of Colours The leather puppet makers used to use natural sources to make different colours.

The colours shine for long; they believe that the colours that they produce with various leaves and nut retain their freshness. For instant the red that they mix is essentially made out of guava seeds. A particular variety of nuts are available in the North of Andhra Pradesh which are also used for the preparation of red colour. In another method 50gms ,25gms and 1 gm muttuga, goranti, lime and kachu are mixed in 200- 300 ml of water and filtered. The filtered liquid is dried in the sun. On drying it, it leaves a red powder. This powder is mixed with neem gum to make it conducive for application on the leather puppets. Since this is natural colour, Mythological story telling through paintings

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it has no seasonal effects. The blue is prepared by mixing the juice of timber plant and charcoal powder. Kajal is also used for black.

The speciality here is that only red, blue and green are transparent colours whereas black is opaque.

Tissue holder

Wall clock

Room partition

Tissue holder

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Key holder

Market anaylsis of Leather Puppetry A

long time ago, when the idiot box was yet to make its mark, traditional forms of entertainment like puppetry were extremely popular. This was especially true in the rural hinterland where it was appreciated and enjoyed not only for its entertainment value, but also viewed as a source of income. There were different clans across India that specialized in it, right from the making of the puppets to holding shows. However, with the onset of the electronic media, this traditional art form started to slowly lose its sheen, affecting the livelihood of those who were devoted entirely to it. While some found solace in different occupations like agriculture. There were others who found newer ways to sustain themselves from the craft itself – one of them being the leather puppeteers of Andhra Pradesh.

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STRENGTH:

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he major strength of this craft in terms of the prevailing market conditions is the lack of presence of any significant competition. Despite the fact that the district of Annantpur is famous for its silk sarees and is known as ‘silk city’ the customers it caters is very different than those catered to by leather puppetry crafts men, so there are no overlaps in terms of the demand of the customers as silk sarees come under apparel and leather works come under table top accessories.

Another factor in favour of this craft is that there are plenty of craftsmen who are willing to carry forward their art for many years to come. It is because of this that the current generation of craftsmen are under no pressure to force their children to learn the craft.

Their children are going to school and are receiving quality education and are entering the profession only by choice. It is because of this that they are able to finish their school education as well as higher studies.

The products that the craftsmen are making like lamp shades and wall clocks are not very labour intensive and are normally made by the members of the same family, as the product is passed among them in rotation. Hence there is no hired labour employed and cost cutting is done there.

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Their skill is their biggest strength.

WEAKNESS:

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ue to the lack of knowledge and exposure in the field of marketing, the craftsmen are not able to sell their products directly to their customers and are very dependent on the support of intermediary services like designers from government managed workshops and the handicrafts association. It is because of these intermediaries that they are able to reach their customers and fulfil their demands.

Their initiative towards risk taking is very less despite having the necessary financial support. They are slightly adamant on sticking to a given set of ideas and products and hesitate a lot in opening up to new ones.

They are very content using the same design for 5 or more years or until they are introduced to new ones.

One more drawback of this is that they face lack of exposure to the diversity of products available in the market and how they can use that knowledge to their advantage and modify their products accordingly to cater to a wider range of customers.

Their weakness is the monotony and inability to think out of the box for new designs.

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OPPORTUNITY:

T

he craftsmen, despite being from a very small district of Annantpur have had immense international exposure. They have been called for exhibitions held in venues like Spain, United Kingdom, United States of America, Paris and Canada. People outside our country are very much aware of the existence of this craft and their products are in high demand. So if a little more effort is put in terms of marketing, a huge base of international consumers can be tapped into, boosting the overall business ten folds.

One more opportunity that the craftsmen have is to familiarise people from big cities especially children to their art and how they go about making their products. This will evoke interest in them about the craft and will encourage them to learn more about it. What more can be done is that leather puppetry being famous for its shadow puppet shows, craftsmen can be paid a nominal amount and be called to schools and colleges where they can perform in front of a small crowd. They are closed to any new ideas and are very keen on working in their comfort zone. They are only making a limited range of products.

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Opportunities given to the craftsmen at exhibitions all over the country

THREATS:

L

eather puppetry initially started out as a source of entertainment hundreds of years ago for the people, even though its stories of Ramayan, Mahabharat, Krishn Lila and Panchtantra were told.

But now in modern times it is in competition with electronic media like the television, radio and the internet and is at a major disadvantage in terms of accessibility by the people.

One more issue that can pose as a threat later is the fact that the craftsmen are closed to any new ideas and are very keen on working in their comfort zone. They are only making a limited range of products, which in terms of competition means that they be easily beaten in variety by their competitors if ever they face any.

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INCENTIVES GIVEN TO THE CRAFTSMEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

B

oth the state and the central government have taken steps to work towards the well-being of these craftsmen and steps have been taken to provide them with financial support and to make sure there interests are catered too. Special loans schemes have been introduced just for the craftsmen to provide them with adequate financial support and also the rate of interest charged to them is only 5 to 7 per cent much less and the current 12 per cent prevailing in the market . Also several other schemes like the ‘Rajeev Ganghi Grameen Vikas Yojan’ for the craftsmen and the ‘Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan’ for the craftsmen children which aims at providing compulsory and free primary education have been introduced.

Products displayed at Lepakshi

The state government has also provided the craftsmen of Nimmalkunta with a small housing complex on the outskirts of Annantpur, and has also provided them with a monthly supply of ration. Access to modern electronic media like radio and satellite television has also been provided.

Shilparamam, Hyderabad

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recognition given by government.

Craftsmen welfare associations have been formed to inform the craftsmen about exhibitions taking place in the country and also around the world. Also are craftsmen’s displays exemplary skills in their work, the welfare association recognises and awards it waving of the fee to set up the stall for the craftsmen and pays for them on their behalf.

This helps to keep the craftsmen motivated and ensures that they strive for better results every time they get down to work.

Lepakshi handicrafts emporium, Hyderabad

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Our Experience O

ur entire cluster experience has been very interesting and informative. Right from the time we boarded the bus till we came back to Hyderabad. The moment we reached Dharmavaram we went to the Lodge that we had booked, B.N. Swami Lodge. It was one of the decent lodges over there.

We had been going by auto to our cluster place, people over there were conservative but very helpful. The food was Andhra cuisine and we managed to find a good restaurant; called “Family Restaurant�. We used to get up early in the morning and reach the cluster place by 9:00 a.m .

The craft work of Dharmavaram and Nimmalakunta, leather puppetry was so interesting that there were instances when we lost track of time and the whole day went by. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, learning the craft from the craftsmen and getting a

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chance to interact with them and there families. Not only did we learn about their craft work but also observed their way of living and their unity. The entire family used to sit together and work. Even in the community whatever profit they had they shared it among themselves.

We made it a point to reach the Lodge by 6:00 p.m. as it used to become dark during the evening and since we didn’t know the place that well it wouldn’t have been safe for us.

The localities over there did not have much exposure and so it was a little difficult for us to adjust at the beginning. But eventually we managed to jell with the crowd; like they say- “Be a Roman when in Rome.” Living with them for so many days we learned that happiness is something one gets only if one is content with ones work and what we do.

We also learnt that there is something beyond the monetary and materialistic aspects of life as there way of living was so simple despite having the resources and the exposure to many things.

Interacting with master craftsman

Outlining done by us

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They are well equipped and aware of all the modern technologies.

For us this cluster experience has been very knowledgable and it would help us in the future in terms of understanding craft work at the base level and also the hard work put into it.

A sample made by us

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Craft based design development Under our Craft Based Design project initiated by NIFT, we developed designs which fused the authentic craft of Andhra Pradesh, ‘Tolu Bommalata’with the new age of contemporary designs.

We endeavoured to give the craft a new turn without the loss of it’s original character. Functionality was all that came into play which had been changing for years together now.

In the process of developing products, we encountered many constraints.

1. Goat leather being a translucent material, could be used in products that dealt with artificial or natural light.

Artisan working on a partition-a design suggested by students

2. Mounting of the leather has to be done on a wire frame of a particular gauze to avoid deformation in the form.

3. While form formation, the design has to be such that the mounting and stitching of leather doen not become impractical.

Our work on this craft is explained further in detail.

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Aprajita Gaurav

Exploring new forms

Exploring motifs for placements

Form formation

This floor lamp has a unique silhouette, and the placement of motifs is different from what has already been done. As the product descends from bigger motifs to smaller ones, it creates movement in the product.

Final product-Floor lamp

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Arundhati Sagar

Placing the motifs

Exlporing new forms

Division of space

The product underwent a methodology which dealt with only borders. Division of space was kept in mind inorder to give a new look to the lamp and sustaining the originality of the craft at the same time.

Final product-corner lamp

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Braj Bhushan Kumar

Peacock motifs

Form exploration

The product has three visual parts to it’s form, two at the back and one in front acquiring most of the focus. Motifs and borders are traditional with the fusion of a contemporary form.

Final product- Wall lamp

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Rohit Kumar

Motif exploration

borders and floral patterns

This floor lamp has been designed by playing around with the division of space. The colour monotony also makes it iteresting to look at with the pre-requisite white and black.

The form is a skewed cuboid. The lamp looks really artistic once the lights are put on. A real visual treat to the eye if placed in your living room.

Final product-Floor lamp

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Snehlata Sinha

This wall fixture is inspired from an aquarium. Interesting texture can be seen on the bodies of the fish. Gradation of blue colour creates nice lighting effects. This particular piece is very much suitable for a kid’s room.

Final product- Wall Lamp

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Upasana Bahuguna

This tube light wall fixture is inspired by the ‘Dancing Apsaras’ who worship nature.

The product is made at such an angle that the colours, motifs and patters are highlighted at a comfortable eye level.

Final product- Tube light wall fixture

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Kasini Vikas Pulkit Saraswat Ramya Koduri

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Another avenue of the application of leather puppetry may be room partitions.

The partions made by us aimed at an age group of 5-12 yrs since these partitions depict pictorial fables of Panchtantra. They also aim at imparting important messages about basic ethics and morals such as being good to others, being honest etc.

The frame has been made by us keeping in mind the workability of leather. keeping the frame light weight was one of them.

partition in artificial light

partition in natural light

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Conclusion L

earning about the craft of leather puppetry was a very knowledgeable experiance. How the craft came into existance and how it started vanishing and how we need to conserve it for the sake of our rich cultural heritage.

Puppetry as an art form is not only used for providing entertainment to viewers, but it is also used to convey meaningful messages.

It is usually known as ‘kathputli ka khel’ in India. Puppetry, thus was a powerful medium of communication. India has a composite and rich heritage in puppetry. There are various types of puppet shows in India. Some are glove puppets, some puppetry shows use string and rod puppets and last but not the least are the shadow puppets. Puppet shows generally depict different episodes from the famous Indian epics of The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. Puppetry is more popular as a rural folk art than it is in urban areas. However nowadays puppetry is getting its due recognition in the cities too. In conservative parts of India, it can also be used to sread messages like family planning, sex education etc. since puppets are characters and not people.

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We also observed that Shadow puppeteers of India still follow traditions and many customs connected with ritualistic religion. It is interesting to observe that shadow puppeteers in general and those from Kerala in particular, offer comments on diverse topics of religion and philosophy, using a fairly complex corpus of literature.

Last but not the least making this document was great fun and also a knowledgeable experience.

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Glossary B

Bhajana :- Devotional song (kirtan), mantra.

C

Clan :-A tribe or collection of families regarded as having the same common and bearing the same surname.

Charcoal powder: - Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon.

Chiseller: - A metal tool with a sharp beveled edge, used to cut and shape stone, wood, or metal.

Craftsmen :- Artisians who practices handicrafts or trade.

D

Devout: - Devoted to religion.

Distracted :- Diverting attention.

Divinity :- Study of religion, state of being divine.

E

Elevation :-The height of the place above the sea level.

Epics :- Story.

Ethos :- The ideasor beliefs of a particular person or group.

Exhibition :- Organized presentation and display of a selected items.

Expertise :- Perfectly skilled in something , a lot of knowledge about something.

F

Flourished :- To grow well or luxuriantly.

G

Glimpses :- Seeing something for a very short time.

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H

Hathora: - Hammer.

Hesitate :- To be reluctant to do something.

Hinterland :- The areas around or beyond a major town , or the area away from the coast.

Hoary :- The grayish white, having grey hair , old and original.

I

Inhabited :- An area which is occupied by the artists.

Immortal :- Lasting for ever.

K

Kajal :- Carbon black.

Kathputli ka khel :- Puppet show.

L

Latitude: - The position north or south of the equator, as an angle to the equatorial plane. This can be from 0째 (equator) to 90째 north or south (the poles).

Longitude:- It is the division of the spherical Earth into 360 equal degree segments, as lines connecting the poles.

M

Motifs :- Decorative design or figure.

Mythological:-Traditional stories that describes the early history of the people.

Folk tales.

O

Opaque :- Not able to b seen through.

Opportunity :- Given chance to prove themselves.

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Punching:- Is a process of making holes on paper, leather or metal etc for making design.

Puppet :- A model of a person or animal which can be moved either by strings or by a hand inside it.

Piercing: - Making a hole in something with a sharp object.

R Rakini bamboo stick:- This stick is used like a pen or brush to make motifs/design on the leather.

Ramifications:- Complex result of an action or even.

Riveting :- A short metal pin or bolt for holding together two metal plates.

S Shivarathri :- Festival ( lord shiva’s birthday).

Smudged :- Mixed.

Sutram bommalata :- String puppet.

T Tolu Bommalata :- (Tolu) Leather, (Bommalata) Puppet dance.

Tool:- A piece of equipment that we use with our hands in order to reduce effort.

Transparent :- Allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen.

V Venues:- The scene of any event or action.

Vivid:- Strong / solid.

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Bibliography This cluster document has been compiled by surveys ,field visits and internet sourcing of information and visuals.

1. Craft clusters in Nimmalkunta, Dharmavaram in Anantapur district,Hyderabad.

2. Sponsored by Lepaksi Handicrafts Emporium, Hyderabad 3.Web pages include http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/art/puppets/html http://www.venetiaansell.wordpress. com/2008/09/15/leath er-puppetry-interview http://www.gaatha.com/blog/?p/201 http://www.cowhide-patchwork-rug.com/ Cow hide.Rugs.patchwork/patchwork.rugs/ Sheep_Skin_Product/little_goat_skin/793/Little_goat_ skin_ cod_10300.htm