The Bright spot

At some distance,22-year-old Harish Bhat happily makes his first sale of the day,a pair of puppets bought by a German national,which costs Rs 400. “They love all our stuff. It’s a big hit in this part of the city because there are so many foreigners here,” he says. The city,in fact,is home to around 20 such families,all hailing from the interiors of Rajasthan,mostly the small village of Mandore in the Jodhpur district. Known traditionally for their skill at puppetry and craft,the community is a reflection of the fading career prospects and business opportunities that Mandore can offer. Thus,around 30 years back,the families migrated to different cities in the country,trying to keep their fading art alive and also earn a living out of it.

In upper Bibvewadi,where most of the community resides,a mini Rajasthani crafthouse is in place. The men in the family get the raw material while the other family members put the piece together. “We buy our material and then make everything at home. One puppet takes around 2-3 days to complete,” shares Harish. Apart from the puppets,the community sells a variety of craftpieces,right from kachaghodi,chidiya sahal to small wooden pieces that reflect Rajasthani art. On a good day these people earn as much as Rs 2000,after a hard day’s work on the city streets,but on a bad day,it can also go down to Rs 400. “Business has not been too good for us. Sales have more or less remained constant,but everything else has become so much more expensive,” says Mahesh Bhat,who complements his income by playing the dhol at weddings and by holding puppet shows. “We can’t really make a living selling these,” he says,pointing at the huge collection of vibrant chidiya sahal that he holds firmly. He also knows how to skillfully play with the puppets. “We were taught how to make these puppets dance from the age of five,” he says,with a touch of pride. “As kids,we were all taught how to make these puppets and perform the shows as well,” he concludes.