Gombe Atta - Agalkote, Karnataka
Popular Puppets of Salaki Gombe:
Usually a show requires a stage size of 10 x 15 feet to run a show and it is famous for string and leather puppets. Artists for music, dialogue delivery, puppet manipulation and stage management are the four core teams for every show. The script and music is written and composed by the seniors in the group. It takes about 2-3 hours to play the puppets with their head and hands which are usually very hard to handle weighing about 10-15 kgs and substantiated with inserting rods to hands to play easily. Puppetry is played in various ways such as in Udupi (Yakshagaana), Tumkur (Eechanoor style) etc. Female characters are dressed with the same saree worn by Indian women [Eg: Satyabhama (wife of lord Krishna) dressed with ornaments]. In some districts, it follows Yakshagaana, the traditional live theatre (folk) form of the state. One of the puppets Satyabhama (wife of Lord Krishna) is an important character in the show of “Krishna Parijatha” turns her eyes (with an eye-ball turning mechanism) when hero enters the stage. Indra Garva, Krishna Tulabhara, Haridasa Krishna, Narakasura Vadha, Prahlada Charite and Bhama Kalapa are other popular mythological based episodes.
