Puppets

Puppets have always inspired me, the puppets of each country exposes that country s culture and lifestyle. My recent visit to the WATER FESTIVAL which occurred in Sharjah gave me a really great chance to see the traditional puppet shows from Italy and Myanmar. The Italian puppet show told the Venetian story –Arlecchino and the Witch which depicts good and evil in a state of struggle. It showcases traditional customs, rich colors and the fancy lifestyle of Italy. The show takes place in a great Italian castle where lives Arlecchino and his friends, Pathelonia and Columbiana. It was  really entertaining to watch this Italian show. But the traditional show from Myanmar was a real piece of art. This show tells us about the various dance forms and religious stories of the culture rich Myanmar. I felt familiar with these puppets by seeing these types of puppets in the doll museum situated in Delhi. These puppets were controlled using thread  the ancient way , which made it difficult to be controlled other than the modern way of puppets on hand. The show produced the great classical dance forms of Myanmar. I recognized that it said the story of Lord Garuda, a mythological character in the Hindu religion. For me it was a great pleasure to see this treasure of tradition, still I wish to see more and more.