From Rajasthan's Sirohi district comes a story where entertainment and social reform walk hand in hand. A young local artist named Ashish Mali has turned hand puppetry into a tool to encourage children and youngsters to stay away from drugs and embrace a healthier way of living. His unusual effort is winning praise not only from live audiences but also across social media.
Mali has been performing hand puppet shows for quite some time, earning loud applause wherever he goes. The real star of his act is a monkey named Chintu, a hand puppet who makes children laugh while teaching them how to avoid drugs and lead a fit, healthy life. So far, Mali has performed not just at schools and colleges, but also at de-addiction centres.
The Spark From Premanand Maharaj
The inspiration behind this entire art form came to Ashish from Sant Premanand Ji Maharaj. Mali recalls that during one of Premanand Ji Maharaj's satsangs, a hand puppet artist gave a performance that left the Maharaj deeply pleased. Premanand Ji's devotional spirit, he says, filled his own life with positivity. Drawing on the Maharaj's ideas, he adopted a fresh style that blends folk art, bhajan-kirtan and comic satire.
Years of sustained hard work and practice mean that every performance today carries a mix of devotion, a social message and entertainment all at once. This artistic shift has given Ashish a new identity at the local level, and his craft has now become a powerful medium for social change.
A Following That Reaches Jaipur and Jodhpur
Ashish Mali's videos and live programmes have now reached every corner of Rajasthan. From rural pockets to big cities like Jaipur and Jodhpur, people are fans of his style. Audiences say his art carries both laughter and a lesson, which is why people of every age group enjoy it.
Mali says Premanand Ji Maharaj taught him that the purpose of art is not merely to entertain, but also to bring society together and point it in the right direction. It is with that belief that he works, carrying the message of de-addiction to young people through his craft.
Census Awareness and a Push for Rajasthani Culture
Recently, when the administration was carrying out the census, Ashish pitched in by creating a special video featuring a hand puppet to make ordinary people aware of the exercise, a clip that audiences enjoyed widely.
Ashish wants artists to be given proper platforms to showcase their talent, and for Rajasthan's culture and art to be carried forward, so that young people can take their skills to the right stage. In this way he is not only raising his voice against social ills, but also continuing to speak up for administrative tasks of national importance and for the preservation of art.
