Profile of the organisation:
Puppetry in India has lived through centuries, making it a traditional art form that finds its references in the history of mankind in general. The diversity of Indian culture too has contributed to the different forms of puppetry that have survived in the various parts of the country, maintaining its rich heritage, thus being a means of entertainment too. Although the onset of new means of entertainment might have posed a threat with respect to the existence of such traditional art forms, the constant efforts of a few to preserve them have proved to be a significant contribution that needs mention and applause. Yakshagana Puppet Show or Yakshagana Bombeyata is also one such puppet show that hails from Kasaragod, presently a part of Kerala, which in turn used to be a part of the erstwhile Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka. Although it may be termed ‘Gombeyata’ in Karnataka, it finds its name as ‘Bombeyata’ over here due to the difference in dialect. However, the concept finds its relevance through Yakshagana, the traditional dance drama popular in coastal Karnataka, which is usually based on the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Hence, the one and only Yakshagana Puppet troupe, complying with the ‘Thenku thittu’ style from Kasaragod is Sri Gopalakrishna Yakshagana Bombeyata Sangha, founded by Vidwan Laxminarayanayya and Sri Venkatakrishnayya in the year 1981. These noble people are in fact the descendants of Yakshagana Valmiki Sri Kumble Parthisubba, supposedly the father of Yakshagana. At present, the torchbearer of this initiative of rejuvenating puppetry is Sri K V Ramesh, who has been striving hard by organizing puppet shows in India and abroad. The troupe has performed more than 3000 shows to date and has got national as well as international recognition.
Achievements of the Organization:
- The puppets of Sri Gopalakrishna Yakshagana Bombeyata Sangha adorn the Museums of countries like America, Germany, England, Poland, Czechoslovakia, China, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Australia and France.
- “Bommeyatavayya” a souvenir published by Sri Gopalakrishna Yakshagana Bombeyata Sangha has been conferred several awards
- Special interviews in All India Radio and Puppet Shows at Doordarshan, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram have been performed by the troupe.
- A documentary film “The Yakshagana Puppets”, 2014 directed by Kiran Raj K with the guidance of K V Ramesh has received the prestigious silver award at the spotlight documentary festival held at USA.
- As a memento the puppets were given to Mr. Narendra Modi, Honorable Prime Minister of India and Mr. Yogi Adityanath, Honorable Chief Minister of UP, when they visited Kasragod.
- Scholars, artists and students from India and abroad have visited this institution for the last 40 years, gathering details for their research and study.
- Various training camps were organized for the interested to make the people aware of this traditional art.
Awards:
- Karnataka Rajyotsava award by Govt. of Karnataka in 2010.
- Janapada Accademy Award by Govt, of Kerala in 2016.
- ‘Best traditional puppet performer’ International Award at Prague, Czechoslovakia in 2010
Rationale of the Project:
Puppetry, a traditional folk theatrical art form of India, which has been ignored due to lack of funds and platforms, modern day entertainment options like television, movies and the internet are pushing traditional puppetry towards a slow death. Heartening portray that Sri Gopalakrishna Yakshagana Bombeyata Sangha has been taking tremendous effort to revitalize the ancient art of Yakshagana Puppet Show in India and abroad. Through this proposed project the registered NGO would like to set up a Yakshagana String Puppet Museum to continue the legacy of Indian art and to inspire young and present generation budding artists to carry on this legacy, thus to give new life and rejuvenation to the almost dying art.