Puppet tales from SAARC
Stories old and stories new, rooted in culture, religion, folklore and social awareness were highlighted when the traditional art of puppetry took centrestage at the SAARC Puppetry Fest 2025, organised by SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Colombo, this week. The festival starting off at Fairway Colombo in Fort on July 15 ended at the puppet museum in Ambalangoda on the 17th.
Three groups of puppeteers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India came together to celebrate the art of puppetry, their main goal being to create social awareness through stories from their home-lands exploring themes of mythology, justice, health, environmental consciousness and peace-building.
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka,
Chief guest at the opening, Minister for Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, commented that this is a “remarkable celebration of our heritage.”
“We must ensure puppeteers survive, so they can continue with tradition and their way of life,” said High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Sri Lanka Andalib Elias adding that in Bangladesh, folk culture has been a vital part of their lives. He expressed his joy at seeing puppetry groups coming together as a “harmonious chorus of South Asian artistry.”
“This is an exchange of artistic knowledge and interaction between three puppetry teams from three member states,” Director, SAARC Cultural Centre Dr. Kaushalya Kumarasinghe, told the Sunday Times.
The team from India, Dolls Theatre, Kolkata, founded in 1990 by Sudip Gupta, began the night of the 15th with ‘Taming of the Wild’, a 45-minute play in three parts – “a theme in relation between man and nature,” the first part depicting the world within, the second, a floral tribute, and the third, movement in the wilderness.
The Laksiri Puppet Artists and Puppet Museum, Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka brought out the art of wooden string puppetry- Rukada. Their puppets are created, painted, and dressed in vibrant attire by the group. The ‘Pahatha Rata’ (low country) and ‘Saraswathi pooja’ dance were highlights of their performance, their comedy play focusing on a road traffic incident that happened aeons ago involving a bullock cart.
The puppeteers of Bangladesh performed last, presenting ‘Manush’ (human), directed by the Puppet Theatre Research and Development Centre, Jahangirnagar University, that focused on man’s harmful impact on nature, through the tale of a swan lured into a human’s trap through loving words. The swan turns to a lion for help so that the animals in the forest can live in peace but the lion is in turn trapped by humans, making the swan’s nightmare a sad reality.
The artists and the SAARC Cultural Centre urge the public to watch and engage in the art of puppetry before the tradition fades away.
India.
Enjoying puppet theatre: The audience at the Puppet Festival in Colombo. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.