BHOPAL: There are some stories which are an integral part of one’s childhood and never lose their charm or intrinsic appeal. Panchatantra tales certainly belong to this category and the subtle message given through these stories touches the heart, whatever your age. On Friday, people of Bhopal got a chance to revisit their childhood at the ongoing Putul Samaroh (puppet festival) at the Tribal Museum.
The five-day festival that began on October 20, will conclude on Sunday. Each day, there are families coming along with children to enjoy some colourful sagas narrated here via some beautiful puppets. Interestingly, along with children, it is the elders who enjoy these puppet shows to the hilt.
There were two stories narrated by puppets on Friday, which got a thumbs up from Bhopalis. Presented by Delhi’s Akshay Bhat and his group, popular tales -- ‘Sone ki choodi’ and ‘Pinjre mein sher’ -- were delightfully presented by puppets dressed to perfection, with appropriate backdrop and props etc. The first story ‘Sone ki choodi’ was about human greed for gold, exploited craftily by a lion while animals steered clear of all those machinations.
“The humans learnt their lessons the hard way and had a narrow escape,” said Pratima Jain who was present at the venue on Friday along with her two children. “These are the stories read and heard so many times, yet to watch the narration by puppets was truly magical. And the underlying message definitely registered; I am bringing my children here again on the last day,” she added.
The second story also veered around a cunning lion who was caged and how he fooled a pandit, by pandering to his ego. He would have eaten him up, but the man had a narrow escape helped by a clever monkey. Ritesh Sahu, a regular at Tribal Museum events, said, “The way puppets danced in the puppeteers’ hands was a sight to behold. Right from lighting to dresses worn by the puppets and smooth narration, it was an evening well spent.”
