Press Release
Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) organised a colourful puppetry display today at the Central Dome at JKK. Mesmerising puppet performances were given by 7th generation puppeteer, Shri Bengali Bhatt from the Jijot village of Nagaur district. The programme is being held from 11 am onwards and will be on till Sunday, 21 February. There are puppet demonstrations like Jogi Sapera, Magic Man, Raja Maharaja, Laila Majnoo, Chari Dancer, and much more. They were accompanied by Dholak and singing. The puppets are also available for sale. The programme aims to revive arts and artistes who have struggled during the lockdown period to earn their livelihoods. It is being held with the initiative of showcasing the inherent capacities of the art of puppetry to the audience.
On the occasion, Shri Bengali Bhatt said: “We make these puppets by hand. The faces are painted and the outfits are also carefully crafted by us. This craft has been passed down in my family through the generations. We travel both in the country and abroad performing shows everywhere. The Covid pandemic brought with itself many struggles for performing artistes. However, we are hopeful that slowly with people venturing out of their homes our fortunes will change.”