Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal Stages Puppet Ramayana During Jagannath Rath Yatra Celebrations in Hyderabad

Udaipur: Artists from the Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, Udaipur, presented the acclaimed puppet play Ramayana during the Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrations organized by the ISKCON Temple, Attapur, Hyderabad, on July 18. The traditional Rajasthani string puppetry performance captivated the audience with its artistic excellence and devotional appeal.

Dr. Laeeq Hussain, Director of Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, said the original puppet production of Ramayana was created in the 1960s by the institution's founder, Padma Shri Late Devi Lal Samar, and has since been performed across India and abroad. In 2019, the production was revived with the support of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. The revised version, rewritten and directed by Dr. Hussain, inaugurated the Deepotsav 2019 celebrations in Ayodhya.

The puppet play presents a concise narration of key episodes from the Ramayana, beginning with Lord Rama's marriage to Sita after winning her Swayamvara, followed by the celebrations for his proposed coronation in Ayodhya. It depicts Queen Kaikeyi's demand for Rama's 14-year exile and Bharata's succession, leading to the exile of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana.

The performance also portrays the episode of Surpanakha's marriage proposal to Rama and Lakshmana, Lakshmana severing her nose after her repeated advances, Ravana's abduction of Sita through deception, Hanuman's search for Sita, and the climactic battle between Rama and Ravana, culminating in Ravana's defeat and the triumph of good over evil.

Stage management was handled by Rohit Menaria, while the puppet performance featured artists Bhagwati Mali, Mohan Dangi, Rakesh Devda, Lumbaram, Khuman Singh, Durga Shankar, Ganesh Giri, Bhanwar Singh, Kishan, Hari Singh, and Dharmendra Verma, who brought the timeless epic to life through Rajasthan's rich puppetry tradition.