Found in the state of Odisha, Ravana chhaya is a shadow puppetry tradition that narrates stories from the Ramayana. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, Ravana chhaya performances were especially popular in the Dhenkanal and Talcher regions of Odisha and even enjoyed the patronage of the royal family of Talcher.

The history of Ravana chhaya remains unclear, with different scholars offering different theories regarding its origins. Some have traced its roots to the third century BCE, while some have attempted to date it by tracing it as an influence on wayang kulit, the shadow puppetry tradition of Indonesia, which dates back to before the tenth century CE. Some scholars have speculated that the name of the puppetry form reflects the influence of Jainism and Buddhism, as certain historical texts within these religious traditions portray Ravana in a less antagonistic light. According to the puppeteers, however, the name Ravana Chhaya was chosen as it is believed that the protagonist of the stories, Rama, does not cast a shadow. While regional texts from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century do not explicitly mention Ravana chhaya, they do carry references to chhaya natak or “shadow puppetry.”

Traditionally, Ravana chhaya was performed by the non-dominant, nomadic Charan caste, who worked as travelling bards (or bhata) and performed for wealthy individuals and families. Despite its primarily religious repertory, the performance of Ravana chhaya was not restricted to temples and it was a popular form of folk theatre. Scholars have noted that sometime in the twentieth century, the Vichitra Ramayana – composed by Odia poet Vishwanath Kunthia in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries – was adopted as the primary source text of Ravana chhaya. Written in the chhanda form, the text is composed of lyrical verses that are sung using a combination of classical and folk music. There is little information on the repertory of Ravana chhaya prior to the adoption of the Vichitra Ramayana.

The puppets of Ravana chhaya puppets are small in size – ranging from 6 inches to 18 inches in height – and cast opaque shadows, similar to the puppets of Kerala’s tholpavakoothu. Perforations are used to create facial characteristics and detail the costumes and ornamentation. They are made of untanned deer hide and are not articulated. Instead, their movements are depicted through simple gestures. A bamboo split is attached vertically along the centre of the puppet, which allows the puppeteer to both keep it stable and manipulate it. A standard Ravana chhaya ensemble may include multiple versions of characters, scenic elements, animal figures and composite puppets. A retelling of the entire Ramayana can require up to seven hundred puppets.