Gopalila (Odia:ଗୋପଲୀଳା) also called asKrishnalila is a traditional form of itinerant glove - puppet theatre ofOdisha state.[1] The art of Gopalila is mainly concentrated in the coastal districts which includes,Cuttack, Puri,Kendrapara, Ganjam andDhenkanal.Gopa refers to the "cowherd boys" in associated with the life oflord Krishna andLila means "play".[2] The puppeteers areGopals belonging to the caste of cowherds.[3] In religious occasions, especiallyJanmastami andGovardhan Puja, the puppeteers performed to entertain local villagers. Puppets are made of wood and paper and their bodies are padded with cloth. The lower half being covered with a long skirt. In southern Odisha, the puppets have legs which touch the ground; but in the north Odisha, the puppets are without legs.[4]
Puppeteers usually travel in pairs from village to village carrying their basket of puppets with a small box like stage, large enough to mask the performer while he manipulates the puppets above his head. The second member of the party sits nearby, the pakhavaj playing the drum, a harmonium player support the performance, the singer singing and narrating incidents from the life of godkrishna. But nowadays this tradition losing its popularity and few performers are active today.[5]
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