Orissa has a history of folk theatre also known as jatra in local parlance. The characters of these jatras are made of wood and vividly painted. They are dressed according to the characters played by them and are controlled by strings.

The nomadic performers of Orissa stage play based on the epics and other historical characters. According to the character played they use masks. These masks are made of wood, sholapith and papier mache. The wood used is predominantly light drift wood. The masks thus made are then brightly coloured. Most artisans for this craft are located in and around Puri.