Bengaluru: The three-day Dhaatu International Puppet Festival will be held from January 5 to 7 in the city.

Entering its fourth successive year, the festival will also have on display puppets that are over 200 years old, along with puppet parades and performances at various locations. The event is being supported by the Union Ministry of Culture, State Department of Tourism, and The Cultural Forum of Austria. The entry fee for all these shows is covered by the government and Dhaatu themselves.

Anupama Hoskere, director of Dhaatu, said, “The aim of the festival is to engage in an exchange of art and learn from each other. We will have both international and regional puppetry groups showcasing their arts.”

A special children’s festival is also set to be organised. A string puppet show will be held on January 5 for students from across the city. In store are also performances by various puppet groups from around India. Teams from Russia, Germany and Austria will also entertain the visitors by performing puppet plays, apart from a street theatre performance by a Russian group.