Puppet Play ‘Ramayan’ Mesmerizes Audiences
Udaipur: On the occasion of Rajasthan Day, the Indian Folk Art Mandal, Udaipur presented a captivating puppet play, Ramayan, at the Mandal’s Muktakashi Auditorium, leaving the audience enthralled.
Dr. Laik Hussain, Director of the Indian Folk Art Mandal, shared that the performance on 17 March 2026 was part of the state-wide Rajasthan Foundation Day celebrations, running from 15 to 19 March 2026. The event commenced with a floral tribute and lamp lighting ceremony at the portrait of the Mandal’s founder, Padma Shri Devilal Samar, by the Honorary Secretary Satyaprakash Gaur, Director Dr. Laik Hussain, and other dignitaries. Following this, the puppet play enthralled the audience with its rich storytelling and artistry. On 19 March 2026, the district administration will host a cultural evening at the same venue, featuring folk performances from various districts of Rajasthan.
The Ramayan puppet play was originally created by Padma Shri Devilal Samar in the 1960s and has been performed across India and abroad. In 2019, in collaboration with the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, the play was recreated, and it inaugurated the Diyaotsav-2019 in Ayodhya. The play was rewritten and directed for this performance by Dr. Laik Hussain.
The narrative of the puppet play condenses key episodes from the sacred text Ramayan. It depicts Lord Rama attending King Janak’s Swayamvar in Ayodhya to marry Sita, the joyous celebration of his coronation by Ayodhya’s citizens, and the subsequent manipulations by Kaikeyi, who demands Lord Rama’s fourteen-year exile and the throne for Bharat. Rama, Sita, and Lakshman leave for the forest. During their exile, Surpanakha, sister of Lanka’s king Ravana, proposes marriage—first to Rama and then to Lakshman. Lakshman, angered by her persistence, cuts off her nose. Enraged, Ravana abducts Sita, who refuses his advances. Lord Rama and Lakshman search the forests for Sita, and ultimately Hanuman locates her. A battle ensues between Lord Rama and Ravana, culminating in Ravana’s defeat and Lord Rama’s victory.
The puppet artists of the Mandal, including Bhagwati Mali, Mohan Dangi, Rakesh Devda, Lumbaram, Khuman Singh, Durga Shankar, Ganesh Giri, Bhawar Singh, Kishan, Hari Singh, and Dharmendra Verma, skillfully brought these iconic characters and events to life, earning widespread appreciation from the audience.
This performance highlighted not only the artistic heritage of Rajasthan but also the enduring appeal of traditional puppet theatre in conveying epic narratives to contemporary audiences.
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