Dalavayi Chalapathi Rao, Leather Puppet Artist

Dalavai Chalapathi Rao, a leather puppet artisan from Anantapur district, India, has been in this craft for over 40 years now. He lives in Nimmalakunta village of Dharmavaram mandal. In 1988 he received a national award for his art and in 2016 he received the Kala Ratna. Recently he was awarded with the Padma Shri. He has even bagged various other awards and certifications in different forums and public functions. Shri Dalavai Chalapahti Rao is a genius in leather puppet performances and narration of acts from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.