Performing Arts : news and updates

What is the News?

Anamika Ray Memorial Trust(ARMT), an Assam-based trust in collaboration with UNICEF-Assam has produced three short videos using Putola Nach puppetry. These stories aim to create mass awareness of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.

Putola Nach:

• Firstly, Putola Nach is string puppetry of Assam. ‘Putul’ is a word that describes both a doll and a puppet in Bengali while the word ‘Naach’ means Dance.
• Secondly, the puppetry is performed in three areas with distinct characteristics. These areas are:
  • The First area – Lower Assam: Here this puppetry form is known as Putala-Bhoariya and influenced by the popular folk form Bhoariya.
  • The second area – Majuli island (Upper Assam): Here small wooden puppets are used in the style of the Ankia Naat. (Anika Naat is an act developed by Sankaradev).
  • The third area is North Assam: Here the puppeteers use Bangla, Assamese and Karbi songs in their performances. These are largely borrowed from the mobile theatre of Assam (Bhraymaman).
• Thirdly, the puppetry includes the episodes of the Ramayana, as well as scenes from the Mahabharata.
• Further, the puppeteers also add dialogues or chants taken from bhaona (the local traditional theatre of Assam).

String Puppetry:

• India has a rich and ancient tradition of string puppets also known as marionettes.
• The puppets in this form have jointed limbs, controlled by strings allowing for more flexibility. This greater ability to control makes them the most articulate of all the puppets but also the most challenging.

Types of String Puppetry:

• Kathputli – Rajasthan
• Kundhei — Odisha
• Gombeyatta — Karnataka
• Bommalattam — Tamil Nadu

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

For the first time, Tholpavakkoothu, the famous shadow leather puppetry will tell the stories of the Ramayana with the help of robots.

Tholpavakoothu

• Tholpavakoothu is a form of shadow leather puppetry that is practiced in Kerala. It is also known as Nizhalkkoothu and Olakkoothu.
• Temple art form: It is a traditional temple art. It has roots in Palakkad and neighboring regions in Kerala. It used to be performed in the Bhadrakali temples of Palakkad for telling tales from the Ramayana.
• Origin: It is believed to have originated in the ninth century AD and uses Kamba Ramayana as its basic text.
• Made up of: The puppets used to be made out of deerskin but are now typically made from goatskin. The puppets are painted in vegetable dyes, as these dyes last long.
• Instruments used: The instruments used for the art form include Ezhupara, Chenda, and Maddalam.
• Puppeteer: The lead puppeteer is usually called a pulavar. It is an honorific given to a puppeteer who is also a scholar.

Source: The Hindu

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News: Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of four indigenous Games to be a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021.The games include Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba.

Facts:

• Gatka: It is a traditional martial art form originated from Punjab.It is associated with the Nihang Sikh Warriors and is used both as self-defense as well as a sport.
• Kalaripayattu also known as Kalari is an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala.It is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in India.
• Thang-Ta also known as Huyen Lallong is a martial art form of Manipur and has been practised by the Meiteis. It is dedicated to fighting skill and worship.
• Mallakhamba: It is a traditional sport from Indian subcontinent and has been well-known in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.It involves gymnasts performing aerial yoga or gymnastic postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope.

What is Khelo India?

• Khelo India Programme: It was introduced by the Ministry of Sports and Youth affairs.
• Aim: To revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation.
• Objectives:
  • Mass participation of youth in annual sports competitions through a structured competition;
  • Identification of talent
  • Guidance and nurturing of the talent through existing sports academies and new set up either by the central Government or State Government or in PPP mode.
  • Creation of Sports Infrastructure at mofussil, Tehsil, District, State levels among others.
• Merger: The scheme is a merger of three schemes namely:
  • Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan: Infrastructure in rural areas and encouraging sports through competitions
  • Urban Infrastructure Scheme: Development of Infrastructure in urban areas.
  • National Sports Talent Search: Identifying sports talent.
• Key Features of the Scheme:
  • Under the scheme, Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.
  • State wise budget allocation is not made and projects are sanctioned based on their viability. Funds are released project wise.
• Verticals: To meet the objectives of Khelo India, the entire programme is divided in 12 verticals as mentioned in the below picture:

Note: Sports being a State subject, the responsibility of promotion of sports, including identification of young talent and its nurturing rests with State Governments. Government of India supplements the efforts of State Governments through its various schemes.