Ravana Chhaya

Ravana Chhaya (literally "Shadow of Ravana") is one of India's oldest surviving shadow puppet traditions, practiced in the Odisha region for over a millennium. Unlike other shadow puppetries that use opaque figures, Ravana Chhaya employs translucent puppets made from processed deer skin, allowing both light and shadow to create a unique luminous effect on the screen.

The art form is traditionally performed by the Bhat community, with stories drawn exclusively from the Vichitra Ramayana, a local Odia adaptation of the epic. A single master puppeteer typically manages all characters while narrating and singing, accompanied by musicians playing traditional Odissi instruments. The name "Ravana Chhaya" suggests that the tradition may have originated from dramatizing the story of Ravana's defeat, making it a powerful moral narrative as much as entertainment.