MADHAVAPATNAM (KAKINADA DT)
The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s premier academy of music, dance and drama, has attempted to revive ancient theatre performance of leather puppetry that is on the brink of extinction in the Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh. In recent years, leather puppetry survived in the Godavari region despite scores of puppeteer families have embraced another faith and quit their tradition.
Of the nearly 300 families belonging to the leather puppetry, barely 60 performers are left now in the Madhavapatnam panchayat near Kakinada city. Around 150 families have quit puppetry after they embraced a new faith.
