The Puppet Makers of Udaipur's Back Lanes

Somewhere in Udaipur's old city, behind a door that looks like every other door, Raju Bhat is carving a face out of mango wood. Seven generations of his family have passed this craft hand to hand — not through books, but through watching, then doing.The puppeteer speaks through a bamboo whistle called a boli — a reedy, voice that becomes the puppet's own. The Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal in Udaipur still runs puppet shows twice daily and offers workshops open to anyone curious enough to show up.