Dr. Dattatreya Aralikatte, known in
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
as Datta (born 22 February 1953) is three time National Award winner and an
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...
and a
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
. He was born in Aralikatte village, in the
Chikkamagaluru
Chikmagalur, known officially as Chikkamagaluru, is a city and the headquarters of Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the foothills of the Mullayanagiri peak of the Western Ghats, the city attracts tourists from ...
district of Karnataka, India, and resides in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
, India. He heads the "Putthali Kalaranga" (Puppet Theater), a well known traditional puppet theater group in India.
Early life
Datta grew up in Aralikatte and graduated from high school from Basarikatte school. He is born to a Gandhian father, M.S. Ramarao and Lalithamma. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and in Bachelor of Education Degrees from the
Mysore University and Master of Arts and Master of Education from the
Bangalore University
Bangalore University (BU) is a public state university located in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The university is a part of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and affiliated by Univers ...
. Being a student, he was very much interested in the field of theater.
His first endeavour with theater was during his college days and then on, theater has been an indispensable part of his life. He worked with playwrights and senior theater persons like Parvatha Vani and Dr. B.S. Narayana Rao both in
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
languages. As he excelled in the field of theater, he got inspired to write his own plays, keeping in mind the current social problems, amalgamated with inclusion of mythological characters in his plays. He has highlighted problems such as pollution, deforestation, and adulteration in his plays.
He is married to Ramamani Dattatreya, who assists him with his theater and has two sons, Karthik Datta and Manohar Datta who live in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. They assist their father in his puppetry talks occasionally.
Plays
The theater has efficiently adopted plays like Sri Krishna Thulabhara, Lankadahana, Kumara Sambhava, Sri Krishna Digvijaya. The plays convey the myths and realities of life, thus supporting a moral in each play adorned with classical music along with Yakshagana beats, making it a complete show.
Datta, as a part of his educational plans for his students, has taken many chapters in textbooks; to name a few,
Panchatantra
The ''Panchatantra'' (IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, sa, पञ्चतन्त्र, "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story. ,
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
's Life.
Synopsis
The troupe is famous for its Kumara Sambhava (Birth of Lord Kumara) shows. The story: during the mythological churning of the ocean, the celestial nectar that was produced was rightfully handed over to the Devas (The Gods) and they became immortal after consuming it. The Rakshasas (The Demons) too felt the need to become immortal and one amongst them was Tarakasura. He performed severe penance to propitiate Lord Brahma and ask him to grant immortality. But lord Brahma granted him invincibility instead, with the exception of defeat from Lord Shiva's son Kumara.
Tarakasura knew about the demise of Dakshayani the erstwhile consort of Lord Shiva at her father Daksha's Yagna and he also knew that Lord Shiva himself was in deep penance in the Himalayas. That Lord Shiva would again get married immediately and a son begot did not seem probable to Tarakasura and hence the prospect of his impending death at the hands of Kumara (Shiva's son) did not frighten him. After receiving the boon of invincibility, Taraka became a tyrant causing trouble to one and all.
The Devas who had to bear the brunt of the newly acquired prowess of Taraka turned to Lord Vishnu for advice and protection. Lord Vishnu summoned Manmatha, and entrusted him with the dangerous task of breaking Lord Shiva's penance and make him fall in love with Parvathi who was in the vicinity undertaking a severe penance to win over Lord Shiva. Manmatha arrived on the location and performed his task which eventually led him being reduced to ashes, when lord Shiva opened his third eye.
Lord Shiva after testing Parvathi's love and devotion towards him in a few subtle ways married her. The birth of Kumara ensued and this led to the slaying of Tarakasura ending his tyranny.
Guru
He learned practical puppetry under his Guru M.R. Ranganatha Rao, a Central
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.
History
It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
Award Winner. He understood the philosophical meaning under
Sriranga Mahaguru, the founder of the "AshtangaYoga Vijnana Mandiram" a spiritual Centre and Sri Sri RangaPriya Swamiji. As a result, he established his own puppet theater called "Putthali Kalaranga", evolving a new style in the field of Puppet Theater called "Mudrika Style".
The theater
His puppets weigh around 8 to 10 kg, ornamented with traditional sarees. The movements are made by jerking them with iron rods thus making them lively. His plays have got easy conversation, classical Karnatic music with melodious tunes.
Recognition
Recognizing his contribution in this field, he has been bestowed several State, National and International awards. He was conferred with the prestigious
Sangeet Natak Academi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.
History
It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
Award for his outstanding contribution to the field of Puppetry by the President of India
Ram Nath Kovind
Ram Nath Kovind (; born 1 October 1945) is an Indian politician who served as the 14th President of India from 2017 to 2022. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is the second person after K. R. Narayanan, from the Dalit community ...
on January 17, 2018. In addition, he has won the Karnataka Janapadha Yakshagana Academy Award, CCRT Presidents' National Award, India, American Biographical Center, North Carolina, USA and International Biographical Center, Cambridge, UK. Datta was chosen by the Karnataka Janapada and Yakshagana Academy for its Annual award for 1996. He has also been honored by Directorate of State Educational Research & Training for using "Puppetry as an Educational Aid." He has participated in several puppet festivals and seminars in India and abroad. The prestigious Centre for Cultural Research and Training "Teachers Award" for 1996 has been a feather in his cap.
[ww.ccrtindia.gov.in/awardlist96.htm]
His name is included in World Puppeteer's Encyclopedia.
The Indian Government, Ministry of Human Resource and Development on recognizing Mr. Datta's contribution to the educational field and puppetry has bestowed him with the national award as the Best Teacher for the year 2004.
He has conducted several workshops and shows in India and around the world. His visit to
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
has got him and his nation, great recognition. The media has featured him several times Several live interviews have been telecasted throughout South America, the United States, Canada, Mexico, India and Iran. His works have been lauded by the Media and the public. His name is included in the "Who's Who" general knowledge book and Asia Pacific Men of Arts and Culture. Through his puppet theatre he has been serving the Society and the field of Arts. He is also a Resource person in the field of Geo-Sciences and Arts.
Other awards include
Karnataka State Janapada Yakshagana Award,
DSERT State Award,
Excellence in Education Award,
Aryabhata award and
Raghasuddhalaya Puraskar. In 2018, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in traditional Puppetry and Teaching – 22nd Sep 2018.
Philosophy
Mudrika Style: Datta's Puppet shows are temple-based and of Mudrika Style. Mudrika means "Mudra" or impression of God, Culture and Tradition. Mudra aims at preserving for the future generation, the philosophy of life, the philosophy of culture and tradition. Mudra symbolizes Union of God and the Soul. This Philosophy is stressed in Mudrika style puppet theatre.
Natya Shastra
The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...
is an ancient script which deals with Indian Dance and Drama. "Abhinaya" (acting, expression and movement) is important here. Vaachikabhinaya (facial expression), Aangikabhinaya (body expression) together constitute Abhinaya. This aspect receives more importance in Mudrika style puppet theatre and leaves a lasting impression on the minds and the hearts of the audience. The costume design for the puppets is done keeping in view the essential features ancient culture. Hence classical Indian dance, music and literature are an integral part of Mudrika School. The songs are based on Karnatic Classical tunes.
Putthali: Putthali in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
means the Puppet used for the performance. Manipulation of an intricate web of strings, enables the movement of the puppet.
Sutradhara: The protagonist of the show introduces the story and the characters to the audience and also performs rituals before and after the show. Some times, he narrates the story. The concept of "Sutradhara" is a gift given by the Puppet Theatre to the Indian Theatre.."
References
External links
* http://www.puppetsofdatta.com/
* https://web.archive.org/web/20081010162816/http://ccrtindia.gov.in/awardlist96.htm
* https://web.archive.org/web/20081021174913/http://www.puppetindia.com/contribute2.htm
* https://books.google.com/books?id=iy6_TtXCZjMC&pg=RA1-PA109&lpg=RA1-PA109&dq=ccrt+dattatreya+aralikatte&source=web&ots=k1m-cU_gge&sig=vKO7qdGrkBrYxAsvPBwzua7t4AQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result
* http://www.theater.ir/article.aspx?id=8398
* http://www.cscsarchive.org/MediaArchive/advertise.nsf/(docid)/2E42F1B54041A564652569400044D0C5
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080827182631/http://www.festivaldebonecos.com.br/2002/curriculos.htm
*https://www.bangalorean.com/author/bsrit/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aralikatte, Dattatreya
1953 births
Living people
Indian puppeteers
People from Chikkamagaluru district
Bangalore University alumni
University of Mysore alumni
Artists from Bangalore