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Chitambara Rao

"Hello, my name is Chitambara Rao and I was born on March 5, 1971 in a small village. Our family tradition is puppetry. For more than three generations now we have been performing puppet shows in various parts of the country. I learned the art from my father, Narayanappa. His skill and talent even took him to London and Paris where he performed with his troupe of family members.

"I grew up doing puppet shows in the village. Now my father has retired and, with my brothers, I am carrying on the family legacy. We sing, dance and play music, which is great fun. We are a group of seven –five brothers, my wife and my sister. Together we make the perfect group.

"For puppet shows we first make our own puppets. The process itself is quite tedious. We treat goatskin in warm water and rub out the hair from the skin. Then we fit the leather on a frame to dry in the sun for one or two days, until it dries completely. We then sketch the desired pattern and design using needles and other sharp tools. Once the pattern is executed, we cut it out so that light passes through the puppet. We execute the painting on both sides. Each part of the puppet is tied to the others for easy movement.

"Once the puppet is made, we tie it to sticks to facilitate its movement. Only an expert can operate a puppet but we can make it move in any way. Our performances are based on Hindu epic poems, the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

"Today, besides performing puppet shows, we also do leather paintings and sell them in the local market. However, puppetry remains my first love."

Novica is proud to congratulate Chitambara Rao for being the recipient of the 2003 National Award for his work on leather puppets. Conferred by India's Ministry of Textiles, Chitambara received the award in 2005 from the hands of India's president, Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam Azad.