Do stories of Krishna fascinate you? Well, with these DIY shadow puppets you can now bring them to life at home.
Krishna’s life is probably best explained by the many leelas or playful stories of his exploits, right from the time he was a tiny infant. Every story has so many layers and we thought these DIY Krishna puppets to depict one such famous story would be perfect for the festive season.
Krishna’s encounter with Putana – the evil accomplice of Kamsa
Krishna, the infant was so attractive that all the Gopis wanted to carry and fondle him, even breast feeding him in turns. In the meantime, in the neighbouring Mathura, Kamsa was troubled by the words of Durga that someone was already born to end his life. He commanded all his assistants to spot and kill every child in Mathura and other nearby towns.
One such assistant, the demoness Putana, known for her magical powers, chose Yashoda’s baby as her target. She transformed into a very attractive woman and posed as a person travelling through Gokula to drop in to Yashoda’s home.
She covered her bosom with poison and, carrying the baby, started to fondle him and made him suckle the poison covered breast. While no one suspected any foul play, the infant seemed to have known the evil intent of Putana. He sucked the life out of the demoness and, in the process, transformed her body into her original ugly form. Yashoda was to discover the divine form of infant Krishna through such episodes one after another!
How to make your own puppets
- Download and print the characters shown below
- Click on each character, which will open up a high-resolution printable that you can download.
- Simply cut out your characters.
- Paste your colourful ice cream sticks at the back of each puppet.
- Hand it over to your child to create his/ her puppet
How to make the shadow box
- Open up your shoe box or carton and gently fold the sides as shown in the image.
- Cut out one side of the box and stick the butter paper to create your screen.
- And voila! Your shadow box is ready.
Note: Place your lamp to the side of the box in order for the shadow to fall
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