This shadow puppet from Belgaum, Karnataka, in south-west India depicts Lakshmana, brother of Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. It would have been used in performances of the Ramayana, the great Hindu epic which tells the story of Rama, his exile in the forest accompanied by his loyal brother Lakshmana, and their battles against the ten-headed demon king Ravana, who abducted Rama's wife Sita and took her to Lanka, his island fortress.
The shadow puppet performance would have been carried out with lamps and a cloth screen (made of dhotis or saris) set up in the village. The puppeteers, members of hereditary groups, were positioned behind the screen and would hold and manipulate the puppets by their integral cane or bamboo sticks. The Ramayana would have been performed in its entirety and would have been accompanied by music as well as singing and narration. There are different styles of shadow puppets in various regions of India, and those of Karnataka are called Togalu Gombe Atta.