Tholu Bommalata (leather shadow puppetry)
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A shadow puppet theatre that tells epic stories with large, brightly coloured, translucent leather puppets cast on a lit screen.
Folk theatreWhere: Andhra Pradesh, especially Nimmalakunta and Dharmavaram in Sri Sathya Sai districtOccasion: Village festivals and night-long performances; now also stage shows
| Performed by | Puppeteer families who carve the puppets, sing, speak the dialogue and play the music |
|---|---|
| Costume | The puppets are the costume: life-size figures cut from goat or buffalo hide, painted with natural colours |
| Music and instruments | Songs and dialogue with harmonium, mridangam or dholak, cymbals and a wooden clapper |
How it is performed
- A white cloth screen is stretched in front of an oil lamp or electric light.
- Puppeteers hold the jointed leather puppets on bamboo sticks and press them close to the screen.
- The audience sees coloured shadows as the puppets walk, fight and gesture.
- Stories come from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, broken up by comic characters such as Ketigadu and Bangarakka.
Significance
Tholu Bommalata is one of India's oldest puppet traditions. Families in Nimmalakunta also make leather lampshades and wall hangings in the same style, which has become a livelihood.