Nritya Natika 1

The Nimmalakunta Leather Puppet craft was patronized by Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire in the fifteenth century to propagate storytelling. The art of leather puppet making itself is believed to be at least two thousand years old, going back to third century BCE. Traditionally the puppets were made to depict characters from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The story tellers used them to perform short stories from these epics in villages and city squares. The puppets are partly mechanical with strings attached to their hands, legs and head for maneuvering. Over the period of time the craft of Nimmalakunta Leather Puppet evolved to cater to the modern lifestyle.
The puppets are made of leather which is cleaned, dried and then painted. The process is long and requires time for the leather to season and be ready to be painted. Artisans then draw the images on the dried leather and paint them. The painted images are finally cut and the arms and legs are tied at elbows and knees. This provides for the mechanical movement of the puppets with help of strings.
Aravalis Nimmalakunta Leather Puppet series comes in two forms. One with the traditional Kathakali masks and the second with a horse and a camel. These puppets are mounted on a transparent frame of acrylic panels to give them a contemporary vibe. The GI certified craft is ideal for your home and as a gift for your loved ones.