Animal Puppet - Pune, Maharashtra
Originally, puppet art is formed by the Bhatt community from Rajasthan, India. This art is carried from generation to generation. Right from the making of the wooden puppet to the puppet show is a mastery of Bhatt artists. String puppets are the most important part of Indian tradition. Puppetry is not only famous in India but also in other countries too. Puppetry is not just an entertainment show, but it conveys social messages to society. Artist depicts stories based on a social cause and also provides solutions to such problems. Artists from the Bhatt community possess versatile qualities. They learned this art from their ancestors. They never went to school or any art classes, it's there in their blood.
One such artist is Gopal Madan Bhatt from Pune. Originally, he is from Manu village, Diawara district of Rajasthan, India. His family members include a mother, wife, four daughters, and five brothers. There are about twenty-five family members staying together. The tenth generation of the Bhatt family staying in Pune for fifty years. His wife Anju and mother Sushila help him making puppets and other decorative items in their free time. Earlier, they used to get a good source of income, but nowadays, it's challenging for them to survive due to declining of this traditional art. Hence, he started making puppet animals. He also started other art forms like playing 'Dhol' and other musical instruments in events, weddings, and birthday parties. He is getting a good source of income from these types of celebrations.
He also performed in several Governmental social awareness campaigns like 'Beti Bachao', 'Saksharata Abhiyan', 'Pulse Polio', and many more. Artist Mr. Gopal Bhatt has appealed to all the viewers to support such traditional art and the artists.
