An Inanimate object used to entertain people is called a Puppet. It is usually tied with threads and played by a Puppeteer. They are very popular with every generation. They are used to depict a story or spread information among people. Puppetry is regarded as an ancient form of entertainment.

As discussed by Aristotle, puppetry originated some 3000 years ago. It was based on the movement of animals where a thread attached to the pulley was used to play Puppets. Puppet shows were held in theatres and a motivational story was linked with them.

There are several types of Puppets viz. Black Light Puppet, Carnival Puppet, Finger Puppet, Hand Puppet, Human Arm puppet and many more.

Black Light Puppets are performed with the help of ultraviolet light. Here the puppeteer adorns a black velvet dress to mix with the black background. Only the puppet is seen under UV light and puppeteer remains hidden. Only the puppet glows in the UV light and this mesmerises the audience.

Carnival Puppet is used for a large number of audiences and is usually served in Fairs and Parades. Their size is usually larger than that of a man. Two or three men are used to play a Carnival Puppet. They are huge and can be seen from distant places.

Finger Puppet is a very simple form of children’s toys. They are worn over fingers and are used to tell stories to primary school children. They do not have any moving limbs.

Hand Puppet is also known as Glove Puppet. The puppet body is placed over the arm and head usually resides on the fingers. The movement of limbs is shown with the help of rest of the fingers. Punch and Judy are famous Hand Puppets of all time.

Human Arm Puppet is also known as Live-hand Puppets. Here the Puppet is worn over complete arm unlike Hand Puppet where only wrist area is used. One and at times two puppeteers are used to play Human Arm Puppets.