RAS question
Kathputli (puppetry) of Rajasthan uses which type of puppets?
Correct answer: (C) String puppets (marionettes) made of wood and cloth.
Kathputli puppetry of Rajasthan uses string puppets, or marionettes, typically made with a wooden body and cloth costume.
Explanation
Rajasthani Kathputli is a string-puppet form: the National Crafts Museum identifies its Rajasthan specimen as "String Puppet (Kathputli)" and describes the puppet's face and body as made of wood, with bright painted features and cloth garments such as a ghagra and choli. The exam clue follows from the performance technique: Kathputli is controlled from above by strings, not by rods, gloves, or a shadow screen. Standard RAS detail also describes the puppets as having a mango-wood head, a cloth body, and no legs, usually shown through a flowing skirt. The form is associated with the Nat/Bhat tradition and with performances on Rajput heroes, love stories such as Amar Singh Rathore and Dhola-Maru, and social themes.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rod puppets do not identify Rajasthan Kathputli here; rod-puppet traditions are instead linked with Putul Nautch of Bengal and Odisha.
- (B) Shadow puppets are leather figures used behind a screen, whereas Kathputli is identified as a string puppet; shadow traditions are associated with Karnataka and Andhra.
- (D) Glove puppets are worked by the performer's hand inside the figure, while Kathputli is controlled by strings from above; glove puppetry is linked with Kerala's Pavakoothu.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan art-and-culture classification, especially the ability to match a folk form with its material and performance technique. It recurs in RAS because puppetry is a compact way to test regional craft, community tradition, and performing arts in one question.