World Puppetry Day celebrated

Priyanka KURUGALA

The Government will implement programs to develop tourism throughout the country. Therefore the right time has come to uplift various types of art like puppetry.

World Puppetry Day is significant to raise the Sri Lankan Puppet culture, Cultural and Arts Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake said.

Addressing the National Ceremony of World Puppetry Day at the John De Silva Commemoration Hall, the Minister said, the National Performing Arts Theatre will be opened in April.

At present Lankan artistes involved in puppetry face certain problems.

These artistes use Kaduru wood to make puppets. At present there is a scarcity of raw materials.

However, this wood is available in the North Western Province, he said.

“The farming community used to engage in drama such as Sirisangabo based on Jathaka stories and other famous stories in their fields after harvesting. These trends have vanished, at present, he said.

Dr Praneeth Abeyasundara said most of the people in Sri Lanka consider culture as an unnecessary thing. The Sri Jayawardanapura University guides students to identify and study cultural subjects.

It is a good way to ide- ntify the pulse of society, he said.

”Language is the fundamental element of society. Language helps develop culture. Therefore students should use dictionaries,” he said.

“Sri Lankan Puppet arts always discusses the good and bad of the world. It reveals the folklore and thinking of the people in the country. Puppetry guides people to live in peace,” he added.

The National Program of World Puppetry Day was organized by the Cultural and Arts Affairs Ministry with the Cultural Affairs Department and the Dehiwala Puppetry Museum.

Sri Lanka Arts Board Chairman Prof Carlo Fonseka, Cultural Affairs Director Vigith Kanugala, former Arts Board Chairman Prof Pandula Endagama, Presidential Coordinator Hema Madiwela, Dr Henning Schneider from the Cologne Puppetry Theatre in Germany and Dehiwala Puppetry Museum Director Sarath Abegunawardana also participated at the event.