Puppetry is a tradition many centuries old in India, an ancient form that has continued unabated to this day and is practiced with flair across the regions of the country. This book is a comprehensive work that showcases the varied forms, processes and functions of Indian puppetry.

The book begins with the origin and history of puppetry. It provides a detailed study of the different categories of puppets and the contemporary puppetry trend blending various traditions and exhibiting a rare diversity. It explores the craft of puppetry, the creative process it involves, the making of puppets, manipulating their movements in puppet shows and hand movements for puppeteers for different categories of puppetry. The purposes of puppetry -- for education, creating social awareness and entertaining -- are examined. In order to cover all aspects of the craft for a thorough study, it discusses the kind of scripts selected for shows, role of voice and music in them, and the factors involved in puppet theatre productions. Brimming with colourful pictures, half-tone pictures and line drawings of a wide array of puppets, it showcases Indian puppetry in the context of world puppetry. It compares the Indian forms with foreign ones like Bunraku and Muppets that are used by modern India puppeteers. A whole plethora of known-puppet groups, contemporary and traditional, are involved to get varied perspectives on the practice of puppetry in India. In a first-of-its-kind effort, it gives data relating to Indian museums containing puppets, a directory of Indian puppeteers and puppetry-allied art forms used by puppeteers to embellish their presentations (use of masks, ventriloquism, mimicry and pantomime). The book will interest all practicing and aspiring puppeteers as even those keen to familiarise themselves with this art form.

Sampa Ghosh, an outstanding artist, had directed popular puppet shows and conducted puppet workshops in India and Canada. Dr Utpal Banerjee is an authority on Indian performing arts and culture. He has delivered many lectures on the subject.