Goddess Durga and King’s Zora Singh staged in puppet style at the conclusion of Putul Festival

Bhopal. Putul Festival focused on various styles of puppetry art was organized by the Tribal Folk Art and Dialect Development Academy at the Tribal Museum. The festival started on 13th and concluded on 16th October. The closing program began with the welcome of the artists. After this, the story of Goddess Durga and King’s Zora Singh was presented in Muppet (talking dolls and rod puppets) style by Mr. Dilip Mandal and friends (West Bengal) of Dhumketu Puppet Theatre. Ten artists performed puppetry and more than 30 big and small, talking, rod and muppet puppets were used in the one and a half hour presentation.

The story depicts the mythological war between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. The story begins with Mahishasura, a formidable demon who terrorizes heaven and earth, defeats the gods and plunges the world into chaos. In desperation, the gods unite to invoke Goddess Durga, the embodiment of power and divine strength. As the story progresses, Maa Durga enters the battle with weapons given by the gods and confronts Mahishasura. However, just before his defeat, Mahishasura realises the gravity of his wrongdoings and the pain he has caused. For a moment, he apologises to Goddess Durga for his actions. Goddess Durga forgives Mahishasura as she recognises the potential for liberation within him. This act of compassion underlines the theme of understanding and forgiveness of the play, which celebrates the power of the divine feminine. Adapted and directed by Dilip Mandal, “Maa Durga” is a celebration of cultural heritage, the spirit of Durga Puja, one of Bengal’s most loved festivals, which weaves together power, compassion and liberation.

Raja Ki Jora Singh, a folklore inspired story inspired by “Bhavam Hajam” written by Kedarnath Chattopadhyay, was staged. People in the kingdom are worried about the state of nature, as the forests are shrinking and the rivers are drying up. The king suddenly falls ill and refuses treatment. Kalua, his only trusted minister, sends a barber named Hajam to the palace to look after the king’s well-being. Kalua is horrified to learn the king’s secret. He has two large horns growing out of his head. The king forces Kalua to keep the secret. Kalua tells the secret to an old tree in the forest. Unfortunately someone overhears him and rumors of the king’s horns begin to spread in the kingdom. Kalua remains silent, he uses the king’s name to exploit the kingdom’s natural resources, cutting down trees and selling the wood for his personal gain, claiming royal authority. The adventure takes place on the day of the king’s daughter’s wedding. The rumors lead to a confrontation in the royal court. The king’s secret is revealed to the kingdom. The king orders Kalua to be punished for his betrayal. Kalua is asked to restore the trees he had cut down and repair the damage he had caused. The story ends with a moral about the dangers of greed, deception and exploitation of nature.