Tholu Bommalata

Tholu Bommalata

Tholu Bommalata, the traditional puppertry art form of Andhra Pradesh, has lost its sheen. Now, there are only a few artisans to carry forward the art.

Tholu Bommalata

Tholu Bommalata:

• Tholu Bommalata is the shadow puppet theatre tradition of the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• Tholu Bommalata literally means "the dance of leather puppets".
• The puppets are large in size and have jointed waist, shoulders,  elbows and knees.
• They are coloured on both sides. Hence, these puppets throw coloured shadows on the screen. The music is dominantly influenced by the classical music of the region.
• The puppeteers make up some of the various entertainers who perform all night and usually reenact various stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata and Puranas.
• Its performers are the part of a group of wandering entertainer sand peddlers who pass through villages during the course of a year and offer to sing ballads, tell fortunes, sell amulets, perform acrobatics, charm snakes, weave fishnets, tattoo local people and mend pots.
• Years ago, the art was active in the four districts of Rayalaseema, especially in the border villages of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• However currently, there are only 6-8 troops left in all those areas that are still taking up the leather puppetry as the prime livelihood.