Jugglers are a commonly found in Indian towns and villages. They are a source of our entertainment. They are usually seen in small towns and villages at the fairs. We find few jugglers in large cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, etc. A juggler needs plenty of open space to give his performance and there is scarcity of free open space in large cities. Further, in large cities, everyone is in a hurry. The policemen do not allow the Jugglers to display their talent that could attract large crowds. People in larges Indian cities have many means of attractions and entertainment. They don’t show much interest in the tricks of a juggler. Educated people think it to be wastage of time.
Indian juggler is very popular with children, women and elderly. They are astonished at his wonderful tricks and gimmicks. They believe him to be a magician.
A juggler is not soberly dressed. He usually wears a long and flowing coat, a large turban on his head and a dhoti. Very often, has big earrings and rings on his fingers. He looks funny. He carries a drum and a flute. He is usually accompanied with a small child to carry his inventory in a bag or basket. The bag contains the items that are needed by the juggler for the show.
First, the juggler selects a suitable location for the performance. Then he extends a piece of cloth on the floor and starts playing the flute. The child starts beating the drum. The juggler is adept at playing the flute. He can produce different melodies to attract a large enough audience before starting his tricks. He is intelligent, clever and quick in movements. He smiles confidently during the program. He surprises the viewers by his well-timed jokes and witty comments.
A juggler has many items to display. He usually starts with the card tricks. He can correctly tell the card that has been taken out of the pack by a spectator. He also shows other tricks. Then, he starts showing balls tricks which are very interesting. He takes a series of balls and throws them up into the air in rapid succession. The balls keep revolving in a circle without any of them falling on the floor.
Occasionally, the juggler asks a man to give him his ring. He covers it with a piece of cloth and waves his magic stick over it. When he removes the cloth, the people are stunned to discover that the ring has vanished. The owner is nervous to acquire the ring back. When the magician sees that the tolerance of the owner of the ring is exhausted, he asks some other person in the mass to search the ring owner’s pocket. Much to the surprise of all, the ring is found in the pocket of the ring owner.
Further, he also shows a mango branch developing into a young tree. His basket trick is also very fascinating. He puts a large basket over the boy’s body. He runs a large sword through it several times. The spectators hear the hurting pain of the boy. They also witness that the sword covered with blood. They believe that the boy might be dead. However, when he removes the basket, they see nobody beneath it. The boy comes from some other place in the crowd and is pretty secure and safe. Then people starts shouting with joy and praise the trick by claps. Some people also give a rupee or gifts to the boy.
With the help of his stick, the magician can multiply the number of his and becomes rich for a short time. Yet again, he is the same poor gentleman moving from place to place to earn his living.
The juggler develops his skills through constant practice. He makes his living by his intelligence and tricks. Our eyes cannot track his movements, as it is active and intelligent.
After the performance, he goes round with his bowl asking the spectators to put something in it. The spectators drop some coins in that bowl. After a lot of toil, he earns his living and remains in tattered others. A juggler is generally semi-fed but he is without any worries.