Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara
A Koppal leather puppeteer who has staged the epics in shadow play for seven decades, in India and abroad, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
For about seventy years, Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara has brought the Ramayana and Mahabharata to life with leather puppets and lamplight. In 2025 she was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Karnataka [1].
A family craft
Bhimavva was born on 1 June 1929 and lives in Moranahalli village in Koppal district [2]. She belongs to a nomadic community for whom leather puppetry is a family craft passed down through generations [2].
The epics in shadow
Her performances cover episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, including 18 parvas (books) of the Mahabharata, as well as present-day themes [2]. She has performed at thousands of cultural programmes in Karnataka, including the Hampi and Mysuru Dasara festivals, and in countries including the United States, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Italy, France and the UAE [2].
She continues to train her children and grandchildren in the craft [2]. Her honours include the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2014 and the Janapada Shri award [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2025: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2025: citation for Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
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