"The use of folk arts in rural development clearly has limitations as to the role that it can play in changing people’s behavior, but it is an effective tool for communication in most cases. The greatest strength of this type of informal education lies in its ability to capture the audience’s attention through entertaining spectacles and to convey new ideas and information to people. In addition, the Bhats’ social position plays an important role in the education process, as they are a marginal community that has provided social commentary through performance arts for centuries. Thus by employing them, NGOs and government agencies appropriate the benefits of their ritual discursive authority. Also, these organizations are aided by the inversions of the social order that occur during shows because the folk artists are able to command the attention of large audiences and thus disseminate their messages among diverse groups of people. In addition, the kathputli tradition of North India is steeped in mythology and symbolism, and these traits give the puppets themselves special ideological status as metonyms and liminars. In turn, these attributes allow the puppets to exist in a realm that is different from that of live actors, and thus they can communicate more effectively as they are exempt from many of the rules and biases that are linked to human behavior. Despite the numerous benefits of using folk arts in development programs, follow-up sessions and more extensive education for villagers and performers are needed to change behaviors regarding complex issues. These performances are quite successful at conveying information, but people are unlikely to incorporate into their lives new ideas regarding issues like folk medicines." (Conclusion, p.63)