Putul Katha

Enter a world steeped in tradition, shaped by a craft that dates back thousands of years!

Putul Katha is a special showcase that invites audiences to explore the practice of doll-making in West Bengal and the cultural heritage of this unique art form. While the display mainly highlights one-of-a-kind hand-pressed clay dolls and some other variations, the region has had a rich history of dolls being made from almost every natural material —from seeds, leaves and wood, to metal, glass, fabric, and more. The makers’ of these artefacts were not just limited to individual artists, but included families and even entire villages or communities, each with their own creative expression and heritage.

Known as putul in Bengali, these dolls not only serve as objects of play, worship and decoration, but also as bearers of stories. They carry their makers’ beliefs, histories, cultural knowledge and reflections of their everyday lives.

Join us to discover the unique history of these objects and the rich stories they tell.

Putul Katha is accompanied by the following events:
– Clay Doll-Making with Sunderbans Doll Artists
– Maati Katha (Earth Stories) – An Object & Material Theatre Performance

This showcase is based on ongoing research by the Tram Arts Trust on the stories surrounding the doll arts of West Bengal.