A graceful dancer, a dapper zamindar, and even mischievous ghosts appeared in BA Block on Sashthi. But they all moved with the help of rods.

The theme of the puja this year was puppets, and they had invited Baruipur Gangadiri Puppet Theatre to put up a show that attracted a large audience of all ages.

Pradip Sardar, the founder of the group, skilfully manipulated a dancer-puppet named Suhana. Himself wearing ghungroos, he held the puppet with his left hand and with his right hand controlled its arms with two attached rods.

“Puppetry originated in Bengal over 3,500 years ago before spreading worldwide, but today it is a dying art form,” lamented Sardar, who holds a PhD in puppetry and teaches at Rabindra Bharati University. “Bengal has a rich tradition of glove, string, and rod puppets, of which we are showcasing the latter now.”

Rod puppetry is the most challenging of the three styles as the puppeteer must hold the dolls aloft while keeping their necks craned to ensure the dolls face the audience. “We perform specific exercises to avoid neck, back, and shoulder pain,” said Sardar, who worked with a team of four on the day.

The puppets were made of recycled materials like sponge and thermocol, and emerged from under a dark screen. A table behind the screen held props and costumes. The puppets went on to perform the Thakumar Jhuli tale of the Brahmin and the brahmadaitya, alongside a recorded narration.

The audience enjoyed the show, laughing at the sight of the cute green brahmadaitya in poite and dhoti, and marveling at details like sindur in the parting of the gray-haired Brahmin’s wife. Western puppets often have moving mouths and eyes, but Sardar’s dolls maintain a fixed face as per Bengali tradition. But they have innovated by using recycled materials, which are much lighter than the traditional 15kg wooden puppets.

“Puppets are an excellent medium for narrating tales from the epics and the Puranas as well as spreading social messages. Everyone remembers Buladi, the puppet mascot for HIV prevention, as well as the Lijjat Papad puppet,” said Sardar.

The audience stayed glued to the play. “This is my first puppet show,” said Shambavi Ghosh, a sixth-grader in the audience. “Even though it’s a ghost story, it’s not scary. It’s cute!” Her two-year-old brother, Ram Rudranshu, watched transfixed from his father’s shoulders.

“We chose the puppet theme for our puja to celebrate our state’s rich heritage,” said the BA Block puja secretary Santanu Das, who was carrying in his arms one of the youngest audience members — little Rishan, son of puja treasurer Subhadip Mondal. “Our resident artist, Jaidip Gupta, beautifully decorated the pandal and even used mechanics to make some puppets move. The cherry on the cake was this puppet show,” he added.