Men-Sized Puppet Dance — Gujarat’s Walking Puppets from Vadodara
The Men-Sized Puppet Dance, popularly known as KathPutli Nritya, is a rare and visually stunning folk dance art form from Vadodara, Gujarat. Performed using giant-sized wearable puppets, this dance is a captivating mix of puppetry, drama, and rhythmic movement.
The dancer becomes the puppet — or rather, the puppet becomes a living character — mesmerizing audiences with exaggerated expressions and lively footwork. Whether it’s a festive gathering, a public procession, or a cultural stage, this dance adds color, curiosity, and cultural value like no other.
Cultural Significance & Origins
- Origin: Evolved in Vadodara as a street and celebration art, combining puppetry with performance.
- Occasions: Commonly seen during Navratri, temple processions, community festivals, and national celebrations.
- Unique Feature: The puppet costumes are large enough to cover the entire performer, often 7 to 8 feet tall, giving the illusion of oversized, animated dolls.
- Folk Element: The dance celebrates humor, storytelling, and folk creativity, often incorporating playful interactions with the audience.
Performance Style & Key Features
- Performed by skilled dancers inside full-body puppet costumes.
- Puppets are made of lightweight frames, draped in colorful traditional fabrics, and designed to look like village characters, kings, queens, or mythological figures.
- The dance features light-footed movements, spinning, and character-driven gestures.
- Traditional instruments like dhol, shehnai, or recorded folk music are used as background score.
- Can be performed as a solo or group dance, often in pairs for comic or storytelling effect.
Ideal For
- Public festivals and street parades
- School and college cultural programs
- Temple and folk art processions
- Weddings, theme events, and children’s entertainment
Weddings, theme events, and children’s entertainment
Add life-size magic to your celebration! Book a Putla Nritya (Men-Sized Puppet Dance) performance and give your event a folk flavor like never before.
• Available for short acts (10–15 min) or extended sessions with 2–4 puppets
• Custom costumes for theme-based events available
•Interactive performance loved by both kids and adults
•Great for photo ops, reels, and media coverage
Contacts
Address
GUJARAT LOKKALA FOUNDATION, 2 PROFESSORS COLONY, NAVRANGPURA, AHMEDABAD, GJ01, GJ, 380009
Phone
+91- 90160 31743
Mail ID
info@gujaratlokkala.org