As part of NHF-2025 organized during 27.02.2025 to 01.03.2025, a unique initiative was introduced—a string puppet show designed to create awareness among farmers on modern agricultural practices and ICAR-IIHR’s latest technological advancements. The puppet play, titled Arka Kranti, was conceptualized as an engaging medium to disseminate scientific knowledge to the farming community under the DST Project titled “Enhancing Livelihood Security of Small-Holder Farm Women of Karnataka through Horticultural Interventions using Pluralistic Extension Approaches.”
Puppetry, as a traditional and culturally rooted storytelling medium, serves as an effective extension tool to engage and educate rural communities. Through this initiative, farmers gained insights into modern and sustainable farming techniques, cost-effective and high-yielding crop varieties, farmer-friendly machinery and its applications, value addition in horticultural crops, entrepreneurship opportunities in agriculture, livelihood security for women farmers and solutions to contemporary agricultural challenges
The puppet show received an overwhelming response from farmers, students, and agricultural professionals attending the National Horticulture Fair. This captivating showcase attracted over 5,000 stakeholders. Developed under the guidance and direction of Dr. Ramya H.R., Scientist at ICAR-IIHR, in collaboration with Naveen Krishi from the Theatre Therapy Trust, with art direction by Ramakrishna Beltur and music by Rajappa Kolar and with the assistance of Dr. Vasanthi C. (SRF) and Koushika B.K. (Field Assistant), the play integrated elements of traditional storytelling with contemporary agricultural themes.
