Gambari Premin is his name. He continues the puppet tradition of his forebears reaching back to the reign of Sinhala kings in this land. And of course he is from Ambalangoda. His sons help him, so the art and craft of puppetry will continue but on a shaky basis due to economics. He was not complaining but it was plain that the lack of a steady income is a drawback. He continues his trade, (if one may call presenting puppet performances a trade), through love of his work and his commitment to continue the folk art which has come down to him from generations removed, which he values and loves.

I interviewed him for this page when he brought his puppets, puppeteers and singers to stage a show to the Primary School kids of Stafford International School on their Library Day - 27 February. One needs to be extra cautious when bringing public entertainment to little kids, hence the organizers of Library Day decided to approach the National Museum since this institution used to present puppet shows a couple of years ago. G. Premin was recommended by an assistant director of the National Museum.

His show passed muster in that there was nothing untoward in either the language used or actions presented. On the contrary he even had a message to convey to the kids: the correct manner of crossing a road with the situation presented of a carter in his cart knocking down a boy who crossed the road carelessly. The kids loved seeing a bullock card, miniature of course, trundling across the stage.

Mr. Premin introduced his show through a figure of about one and a half feet in height, dressed in a checked sarong and white shirt with a belt around his waist, which was string-drawn to centre-stage. The puppet, through the puppeteer of course, gave some interesting details about the show. He said that in 1922 when the Prince of Wales visited Ceylon, (that would be Edward VIII before his coronation, accompanied by the dashing Lord Louis Mountbatten) he and other puppets belonging to Gamabari Podi Sirina (the present owner’s grandfather) performed before the Prince and was awarded a gold sovereign and Rs. 500/=.

Earlier, puppets were made of animal skins and stuffed; the skins usually used being deer and buffalo skins. They are now made of kaduru trunks, painted over and dressed. Each puppet has one person who holds the frame to which are attached the strings that make the puppet - its hands, legs, head, even fingers move. Mr. Premin said they were cautious about language used and incidents depicted were all decent and above board.

The Stafford kids enjoyed the puppet show and that is praise enough for Mr. Premin and his little men and their handlers, since kids of today are difficult to please, having access to so much entertainment, mostly electronic.

Dr. Lester James Pieris used puppets in his ground breaking film Rekawa. So did the Jayamanna brothers at an earlier era when they performed Andare. Puppets are popular when it comes to Vesak - entertaining sightseers at roadside stages. Vessantara Jatakaya is one of the most popular stories enacted.

Accessing the Web in 2007, Mr. Premin said, it was noted that March 21 is declared World Puppet Day. So he got in touch with the Cultural Ministry and plans were set afoot to celebrate the day. The tsunami struck destroying the puppet museum in Ambalangoda. Mr. Premin said he lost puppets that he had placed in the museum and in his store in town. Those at his home were saved. In 2008, Puppet Day was celebrated, and this year too it will be.

The state should assist these puppeteers since they are continuing an ancient Sri Lankan tradition with difficulty. Maybe once tourism picks up they will be better off, engaged by hotels to entertain their clients from abroad. But one cannot place any bets on this. So if this art is not to die off, the government should step in with a helping hand.