The Journey so far PDF Print E-mail

During the years between 1994 and 2000 he was associated with the well known Kadambari Foundation (started by Ms Chandra Jain) and taught children the art of puppetry through workshops and puppet productions.

In the year 1999 he visited Poland with his team as a part of Indo Polish cultural Relationship Program and gave 5 very successful puppet shows all over Poland winning polish hearts and spread the rich Indian heritage.

Rao later closely associated with Crafts Council of Karnataka and served as a councellor for the duration 2006-07. During this period, Crafts Council of Karnataka in collaboration with Canara Bank Foundation made way for 4 major workshops that Rao undertook. He along with his wife Gayathri Rao trained nearly 70 artisans on Puppet making , script writing, music and costume designing.These workshops were a huge success in harnessing a solid team of puppeteers as well as train skilled wooden sculptors on puppetry as a profession.

Also as a part of his efforts to nurture other puppet troupes he was pivotal in starting Puthhali Kalaranga, a puppet troupe started by Rao's student Dattatreya Aralikatte. Mr.Datta went ahead to receive acclaims at the State and National level for his services to the field of puppetry.

 

Another Puppet troupe run entirely by the students of Vivekananda Educational Trust and ably supported by its faculties was started in 2007. This troupe comprising mostly of children has successfully completed more than 250 performances of the famous mythological story of "Hanumadvilasa".
Rao and his wife Gayathri Rao have helped these troups from their inception in terms of puppets, script, stage material and costumes and taking them all the way to a stage where they can handle shows themselves.

Rao is also a consulting advisor to Dhaatu, a cultural organisation aimed at instiling cultural values to children led by Mr Vidyashankar Hoskere and his wife Mrs. Anupama Hoskere.

He has also scripted many episodes complete with dialogues and songs. They include

Sri Krishna Parijata - The episode where Lord Krishna fights Lord Indra the ruler of heaven to get the Parijata tree (heavenly tree) for his beloved wife Sathyabhama.
Narakasura Vadha - The episode where Lord Krishna fights and kills the deamon Narakasura.
Girija Kalyana - This episode is regarding Lord Siva marrying Parvati and later their son Subramanya killing the demon Tarakasura.
Krishna Tulabhara - The episode where Sathyabhama realises that true love is greater than materialistic love.
Hanumadvilasa - The episode from Ramayana where Hanuman the devotee of Lord Rama destroys Lanka and brings back Sita's ornament as proof that she is captured there by Ravana.
Nala Damayanti - The story of the mythological couple King Nala and his wife Damayanti.
Shurpanaka Prasanga - The episode from Ramayana where Laxmana the brother of Lord Rama cuts off the nose of Shurpanaka, sister of Ravana.
Rajasuya yaga - This is the episode of Lord Krishna killing Shishupala after the Rajasuys yaga (a holy penance).

 

He is still continuing his endeavor in the field of puppetry experimenting and innovating which has come to be a part of his daily routine !!!