Class 6 Arts (Kriti-I) Chapter 19, Stories of Shadows and Strings — Puppetry, introduces India’s rich glove, rod, string and shadow puppetry traditions and guides students step-by-step in making finger, sock, stick and shadow puppets for a classroom puppet show.
What Class 6 Art Chapter 19 Covers
Scene 1: Hand Puppetry — Finger, Sock, Glove & Indian Traditions builds simple finger, sock and glove puppets from household materials and introduces India’s traditional hand/glove puppets: Pavakoothu (Kerala, inspired by Kathakali), Sakhi Kundhei Nacha (Odisha), and Bener Putul (West Bengal).
Scene 2: Stick & Shadow Puppetry Across India constructs stick puppets, a cardboard puppet-show frame and a backlit translucent screen for shadow puppets, and showcases India’s traditional shadow/rod/string forms: Tholu Bommalata (Andhra Pradesh), Togalu Gombeyata (Karnataka), Ravana Chhaya (Odisha), Kathputli (Rajasthan) and Putul Nautch (West Bengal).
Exercises in Chapter 19
- Studio Activities, step-by-step creative exercises, and peer/self-reflection prompts.
Read Class 6 Art Chapter 19 Online
More Chapters
- Previous: Chapter 18: In the Company of Theatre
- Next: Chapter 20: The Grand Finale
- Hindi medium: Class 6 Arts Chapter 19 PDF in Hindi (Kriti-I)
- All Art chapters and the other Class 6 books: Class 6 NCERT books 2026-27
- All Class 1 to 12 NCERT Textbooks: NCERT Books PDF (Class 1–12)
- Every book chapter by chapter: NCERT chapter wise PDF
FAQ
What are the four main types of puppets found in India?
1. Glove/Hand puppets (e.g., Pavakoothu of Kerala), 2. Rod/Stick puppets (e.g., Putul Nautch of Bengal), 3. Shadow puppets using leather cutouts and a backlit screen (e.g., Tholu Bommalata of Andhra Pradesh, Ravana Chhaya of Odisha), and 4. String puppets or Marionettes (e.g., Kathputli of Rajasthan).
How does a shadow puppet theatre work?
Flat, articulated puppet cutouts are held closely against a tightly stretched white translucent cloth screen while a bright light shines from behind, casting crisp moving shadows visible to the audience in front.