A tradition of puppetry in Santhal Adivasis dying fast | चादर बादोनी: मरती संताली लोक कला

Chadar Badar or Chadar Bandhani is a very rare form of indigenous Santhal puppetry and a hall mark of Santhali culture. Puppetry has always been associated with folk culture and has played an important role in folk education. This dying tribal art form was once prevalent in the Santhal communities living in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Assam. Today, a handful of Chadar Badar puppeteers are seen scattered in the Birbhum, Bardhaman, North Dinajpur and Bankura districts of West Bengal and Dumka region of Jharkhand. The main reason for the art form becoming obscure is that only very few members of the community have learnt the basic art of making the puppets or have acquired the skills to bring them to life on make-shift stages.