Karagoz Shadow Puppet Performance in Udupi

Warm firelight illuminates a dim stage in Udupi where a Karagoz shadow puppet performance unfolds. A skilled puppeteer manipulates flat, intricately cut leather figures against a translucent white screen. The shadows cast are sharp and dark, depicting a traditional character with a long nose and turban. Heavy overcast skies outside the venue allow no natural light to intrude, leaving the room bathed only in the flickering orange glow of oil lamps. Spectators sit closely together on the floor, their faces turned upward in communal exhilaration. The texture of the leather puppets is visible where the light hits their edges, while the shadows on the screen shift with rhythmic precision. A deep shadow of a hand rests on the lower left corner of the screen.