MANGALURU: In a tiny coastal hamlet of Uppinakudru in Udupi’s Kundapur taluk, a 350-year-old coastal art thrives. Welcome to Gombe Mane (puppet house), where 60-year-old Bhaskar Kogga Kamath, a sixth-generation master puppeteer, resides. Bhaskar, who quit a lucrative bank job, now captivates the world with Yakshagana Gombeyata (stringed puppet play).
Bhaskar has added more sheen to the art by including puppets of animals, different yoga styles, and more.Yakshagana Gombeyata belongs to the Badagathittu style of art form, but the idiosyncratic innovations Bhaskar brings in are endless. Bhaskar was introduced to this art form at a tender age of six by his guru and father, Devanna Kamath. Trained in Yakshagana, Bhaskar has authored several research-based books on the art. His father Devanna was encouraged and supported by social reformer Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and polymath Shivaram Karanth and was famed all over the country in his heyday. Bhaskar now strives to sustain and further his hybrid art that is said to have originated in the Stone Age.
Training other students is also a part of his mission. At his headquarters, Gombe Mane, Bhaskar has over 1,000 puppets, all created by him and his team of 15. “My team comprises people with different roles… some play music, a few are trainees,” says Bhaskar. Traditionally, the 18-inch-tall puppets are made using wood sourced from locally available trees, like the jackfruit.
Every stage of puppet-making — from shaping the wood to attaching the strings to painting and gumming them — is carefully handled by Bhaskar himself. He even makes his unique gum, a concoction that has even been academically studied. Bhaskar’s shows are divided into two.
The first is a traditional depiction of an episode from the epics or Yakshagana tales. “There’s power in the epics,” he says. However, he has adapted his art to suit modern sensibilities and requirements by channelling the hidden purpose of puppeteering — teaching social values to children.
As someone skilled at making bird and animal puppets, Bhaskar has been creating awareness on climate change and the need for education. “I teach children about 3Ds -- Dedication, Determination and Discipline,” he adds with a smile.
While the Rajyotsava award winner laments the lack of structured support, his “can-do” spirit and “never say die” attitude are the reasons behind the flood of innovations that he has introduced to international puppetry. Many international puppet festivals in Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia have featured his shows.
A proud experimenter, Bhaskar says his animal puppets enable him to depict the entire epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata using feathered characters like Jatayu and Sampathi. His best work so far is ‘Virata Swarupa’ Hanuman, which grows in size during the Lanka Dahan scene. “I feel wonderful when I handle the Hanuman and Krishna puppets... that’s a different feeling altogether,” he adds. He also has a puppet that makes traditional gestures like the Bharatnatyam head tilt.
An interesting analogy that he uses to describe the difference between Yakshagana and Yakshagana puppetry is, “It’s the difference between speaking and writing the same thing with an instrument.” His sonorous voiced narrations are given in Konkani, Kannada and English, though the language is not a barrier for puppetry.
And one visit to Gombe Mane ignites one’s imagination and stimulates cultural connection in the most unique ways. “In this day and age of flighty entertainment, ‘out of sight is out of mind’ is very valid,” Bhaskar soldiers on, preserving and promoting his family art tirelessly.