Towards the end of the 19th century, the first permanent puppet theater in the city was established – the Škoda Theater. With their horse-drawn carriages they moved from place to place and performed folk plays that delighted old and young. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, traveling theaters with puppeteers came to the city. Here historical and contemporary puppets are exhibited, on touch screens you can learn a lot about the history of puppetry and go in search of the history of Spejbl and Hurvínek.įor me, this visit was one of the highlights of our time in Plzen. In front of the door on the square I came across a sculpture with Spejbl and Hurvínek, who artfully wore a their mask, even before the visit.Īfterwards, we went to the modernly designed museum. A visit to the Puppet Museum in Plzen brought back many memories.ĭirectly on Republic Square ( Náměstí Republiky) in a historic house is the “Puppet Museum Plzen”. You can purchase them and hang the in your living rooms or on your porch at the entrance.Do you remember Spejbl and Hurvínek? The two marionettes, along with many other characters, were a part of my childhood. They have a range of prices, starting from Rs 1800 for the smallest ones. A collection of masks of various sizes and types, from the mask of a famous king to that of a legendary devil from folktales, are arranged here. Their clothing and style hail from a time long gone, but maintained with these traditions of drama and puppetry that was once used as the main form of entertainment in the villages and royal cities of Sri Lanka.Īt the back is a special room where you can get some unique souvenirs – Sri Lankan Masks. A man will come in to do this.Īmong the puppets you will find the puppets of kings and jesters, villagers and lords, devils and priests and more. The name and description tags of the puppets are in Sinhala, so you may want to request the lady at the counter to provide a translator. The museum resembles a palace with various Sri Lankan traditional folktales embodied by puppet art told in various room. However, it’s not creepy or boring as the place is well lit and follows an interesting theme. There will be puppets of various sizes around each corner. The rest of the museum will be left for you to enjoy. On arriving at the museum, you will usually find only a lady manning the ticket counter at the entrance. However, it is a must to call early if you wish to see a show, as the museum runs with minimum staff otherwise. Tickets to these shows are priced at Rs 100 per person. You also have the option of requesting for a puppet show, if you can call a day or two prior to visiting. That said, if you wish to be allowed to take photos, your ticket price will be Rs 100. The price for a ticket at the museum is a standard Rs 50 currently. The Museum is approximately 150m from there, on your left after passing the Dehiwala Urban Council Road. That is the 176 bus route leading to Karagampitiya and the Zoo. Or you when taking a vehicle come down Galle Road towards Dehiwela, take a turn from the junction towards Kalubowila, then take the first turn to the right. You can walk down the road next to the Dehiwela Urban Council from Galle Road, and turn right at the end towards the zoo. The Traditional Puppet Arts Museum museum can be reached by foot from the nearest bus stop or by vehicle. As such, despite the Indian origins, Sri Lanka puppetry is in a class of its own. Researchers believe that the art form was spread to several surrounding countries, and then took their own original twist based on the native cultures. Evidence shows that the art may have been brought by travelers from Rajasthan in India. Remains of puppets and evidence of puppet shows have been traced back to the era of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Kingdoms. Sri Lanka has history of puppetry spanning for over several millennia. It was created with the collaboration of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Tourism Development and Ministry of Education to preserve the culture of traditional arts amongst the Sri Lankan community and bring this art forth to the international level. Less than a decade old, this museum was created as the brainchild of Sri Lankan puppetry lover Sarath Abegunawardana. It is located on the 176 bus route that leads to the zoo. Close to the back end of the Urban Council Road in Dehiwela, hidden from the bustle of the city lies Sri Lanka’s only Traditional Puppet Arts Museum.
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