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Story of Nimmalakunta

3 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY CRAFT THOLUBOMMALATACLUSTER FASHION AND LIFESTYLE ACCESSORY DESIGN SEMESTER V 2017- 2021

Craft Documentation : Faculty Guide Shipra Roy & Dr. Yathindra L

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore, except by a review/reader who wishes to quote brief passage in connection with a paper/review/essay written for inclusion in a periodical, news paper or broadcast.

Copy right : 2019 : National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru

PLACE : Bengaluru DATE : 12-12-2019

Course Coordinator

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Craft cluster project titled “ Tholu Bommalata – Story of Nimmalakunta’’ is a record of work done by the students, Anandita Dixit (BD/17/207), Anureet Kaur (BD/17/250), Deepshikha Mahajan (BD/17/1270), Drishya Sudarsanan (BD/17/1785), Sugumar Velayutham (BD/17/672) and Upasana Acharya (BD/17/354) as regular students for the degree of Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories Department during the period of November 2019, which represents as independent work and does not form the base for any previous work.

We are grateful to Mr. S. Anjaneyulu, Mr.Chandrashekhar Shinde, Mr. Chalapathi Rao and Mr.Srinivasalu Khande who provided us with wisdom; guidance and encouragement.

We would like to thank our mentor faculty, Professor Shipra Roy, for guiding us throughout this project. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Chairperson of our department Professor Yathindra. We would like to thank our institute, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru, for giving us this opportunity.

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank all artisans who graciously contributed their time, energy, acumen and intellect to help us get an insight into their art.

This document is a part of a craft cluster initiative taken up by the students of Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories department, Bengaluru. National Institute of Fashion technology, Bengaluru has given us this opportunity to study and understand a unique craft encompassing the Anantapur district. This project calls for an immersive experience in the village of Nimmalakunta and the leather puppetry craft it is known for – Tholu Bommalata. We chose a small cluster based in Nimmalakunta as our area of study. This village is home to age old traditions and crafts which are being passed down from generation to generation. This region of Andhra Pradesh has maintained its individuality with its possession of the art of leather puppetry. This document aims at giving an insight into the craft and the artists who make these puppets come to life. It focuses on the research and knowledge obtained from first hand experiences during this cluster. It explores various aspects of the art form and gives an account of the history, process, designs, myths and stories unfolded by these puppets.

preface

9 Contents page 1) Overview • How it began • Evolution • Crafts in Comparison 2) About Nimmalakunta • Map • Location • Climatic Conditions • Access and transportation • Tourism • Demographics • Education • 3)Occupation Culture • Language • Food • Religion and Festivals • Music and Dance • Clothing and Accessories • 4)Architecture The Puppet Show • Folklore and beliefs • The stage • The puppeteers • The performance- Introduction, Comedy Skits, The main story 5) Colour Story • Colour Palette • Form and Design 6) Introduction to Materials • Leather Processing • Making of natural colours and •pigmentsAlternative Materials 7) Finishing and Detailing • Traditional Puppet Making • Commercial Products • Maintenance • Storage • 8)Disposal Artists’ Lives • Artist Profiles • Working Hierarchy and Gender based 9)AnalysisMarketing Mix • Product Range • Price • Promotion • People • Physical Evidence 10) Current Status of the craft • Government Policies and ••OrganizationsSWOTAnalysisOurExperience and Insights • Conclusion • Vernacular Glossary • Bibliography

11 overview craftintroductionhowitbeganevolutionincomparison

Introduction

state, however, Nimmalakunta, a remote village in Dharmavaram Mandal, is also famous for this form of art. Many puppetry artists from this village have shown extraordinary efforts in this Theart.

The puppet shows had something for everyone – divine holy epics for the devout; melody and rhythm for those who were lost and comic relief for the distracted. Puppetry is still practiced today, especially during festival occasions. The Art of Leather puppetry is an ancient form of folk Art in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a form of livelihood in the Anantapur district of the

In the dark of the night, loud beats of the drum and cries of the war horn fill the sweltering air, while glowing kings and demons fight across the flickering light.

art form is famous by the name of “Tholu Bommalata”. Tholu bommalata literally means “the dance of leather puppets”; ‘Tholu’ means leather and ‘Bommalata’ which means puppet dance. This ancient form of art has now transformed into a craft art by the involvement of interior designing and appreciation of Indian crafts. These opportunities have paved a way for this art to become a livelihood in this region of Andhra Pradesh.

As early as the twelfth century, the art of puppetry flourished in Andhra Pradesh, narrating stories of divinity, taking the divine dimensions itself in the form of the puppets. Stories from the great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, were performed and went on for several nights. The shows would start at the brink of the night, while the sun would go to sleep, and wrap up in the wee hours of the morning, when a new day began.

Thetime.origin

This folk Art was used by the people who migrated from the state of Maharashtra around 700 years back. It was displayed on the streets and roads across the country in a time when there was no form of entertainment or dramatization. Its performers were a part of a group of wandering entertainers and peddlers who would 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. This ancient custom, for centuries before radio, movies, and television, provided knowledge of Hindu epics and local folk tales. The play would demonstrate epics and beliefs of the region for an entire night. It was also honoured and encouraged by the Kings of that

how it began

The origin of this craft is the Art of Tholu Bommalata which is the traditional cultural art of Nimmalakunta. It is sacred to this region and requires great amounts of efforts from the puppeteers. The material used for this craft is heavily influenced by the art form itself. Thus, this craft is mostly associated with the travellers and artists of leather puppetry shows.

According to Mr. S. Anjaneyulu, a leather puppetry master, his ancestors came from the town of Pandharipur in Maharastra three generations ago. He told us he can recall his grandfather telling him stories of the turmoil and war during Chhatrapati Shivaji’s reign in Maharashtra. The people started hiding in the dense forests out of fear of being killed. In these jungles, they foraged for food and hunted for skin. But soon, they had to come out of hiding. The only skill they possessed was to clean carcasses and form leather. They used these natural resources to form characters of the Ramayana and Mahabharata which they had learned from their childhood. This is how the art was formed according to him. They chose this path of livelihood to get out of hiding and migrate to other parts of the country, singing songs and hymns of their holy tales. These ancestors, who were depending on this art for their livelihood, started migrating to the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They travelled as gypsies and started playing and performing the Tholu Bommalata across all the villages. While pursuing their gypsy trail, they came to the village of Nimmalakunta and settled here. They started demonstrating this art in the surrounding villages of Andhra Pradesh.

of Tholu bommalatta in Andhra Pradesh also has evidence in various stone inscriptions found in many places. The 18th19th century A.D. inscription gives evidence to second tradition of puppeteers of Maratha origin, migrated due to political upheavals, expedition of conquest by rulers or favourable reception given by the neighbourly areas along with the Maratha Kings of the Nayaka dynasty (17th century A.D.) and settled on the borders of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh around Hindupur, and Bellary. The Maratha culture introduced through Marathi rulers and

landowners has also influenced other traditional art forms like Harikatha, Yakshagana, Surabhi Natakam and modern theatre besides shadow puppetry in Andhra Pradesh.

Puppet of Hanuman

Evolution

After a few years of arriving in the village, there was a drastic change in the enthusiasm for arts due to the penetration of the film industry and other forms of immediate entertainment such as the television. The father of the craft, Father D. Chinna Narayana, along with a few other artists decided to form the craft with their own Tholubommalu method in order to survive the traditions and the longstanding form of art. They were supported by the DCH (Office of Development Commissioner; Handicrafts) and few other interior designers. They took a step to convert the art form into household utility products like lamps, paintings and wall hangings, etc. In the 1980s, these lampshades were brought to the market and advertised as a commercially viable product. Thus, the craft of leather puppetry was born. People started

appreciating the effort and skills which went into the craft.

While several of these products started selling, the folk art of Tholu Bommalata had a lesser audience. The artists realised that the show was time consuming and it took hours to painstakingly make the large puppets. Slowly, the puppets became smaller and smaller in size. The puppets commercially sold now are about 20 inches (approximately 50 cm). They have not only changed in size, but also in form and design. The puppets are a lot more vibrant due to the colours used such as orange, yellow, pink, blue, green, etc. They also have a lot more details and intricacies such as thin, precise lines and various shapes and sizes of holes to capture light. The clothes and accessories are a lot more elaborate in pattern and colours. The puppets today are designed with much more precision in terms of body proportions. They have softer features like smaller eyes and detailed hands.

When the Maharashtrian folks settled in Nimmalakunta, their livelihood was primarily based on the puppet shows. The puppets during this time were made of deer, goat or buffalo leather. They were approximately 8 feet tall and 2 -3 feet wide. The puppets were simple in terms of their colour palette which consisted of red, yellow and black. They showcased thick line work which heavily emphasised their large, exaggerated features. For male puppets, these features would include sharp teeth, long moustaches, and big eyes. In the case of female puppets, the features would exaggerate their curves and figures along with large eyes and really long thick hair. Contrary to the puppets today, the older puppets had fewer, larger holes or punches to capture the light, particularly on parts such as jewellery and accessories. The artists would trim the edges of the puppet with a knife which would as a result give a rough finish. As for the show itself, they would use an oil lamp to orchestrate the entire play.

Puppet of Hanuman over 200 years old

In Karnataka, the shadow puppetry is called “Togalu Gombeyata”. ‘Togcihi’ refers to leather, ‘Gombe’ means toy and ‘atta’ denotes play. The origin of Togalu gombeatta in Karnataka dates back to 10th - 11th century A.D. In this art, most of the puppets are in profile, so the representation of both the eyes is seen. This is a unique practice only observed in Karnataka puppetry tradition. The puppets in Karnataka include a dancer and a clown who have mobility while as a small number of puppets are without any joints for articulation. In this particular shadow puppetry tradition, a single person manipulates the puppets sitting inside a small stage. The women help in musical support by singing and playing the Harmonium or Cymbals. Wherever big puppets are used, the women also help in manipulation during the performance. This is in contrast to Tholu Bommalata, which requires a minimum of eight performers to carry out the puppet show.

Crafts comparisonin

Similarly, the Shadow puppetry in Kerala is called “Tolpavakoothu”. ‘Tol’ refers to leather; ‘Pava’ means dolls and ‘koothu’ denotes play. It is a religious ritual performed in Bhagavathi (Kaavu) temples. Kerala has a strong literary connection with Kamba Ramayana, which is not found in any other shadow puppetry traditions along South East Asia. It does not deviate from the original dramatised text, the Adal-Pattu of Kamba Ramayana, which is the dramatised Tamil adaptation of the epic. The art is carried out with puppets which are opaque and are meant to outline the silhouette itself. This tradition is narrative in nature and thus, it focuses on the story rather than its characters. It uses limited colours like yellow, red, blue brown and green Most of the emphasis is on the holes in the puppet rather than its colours. The colours are just used to differentiate between each of the characters during the show. This art continues to use oil lamps while as the other crafts have moved on to light bulbs.

Traditional shadow theatre from Maharashtra is called “bahulya chamdyacha”. In the Marathi language, ‘bahulya’ means figure and ‘chamdyacha’ translates to leather or made of leather. Bordering Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, the village of Pinguli is renowned for its puppeteers who belong to the Thakur/Thakar Adivasi community whose men are mostly fishermen and also farmers. The complete ensemble of puppets in this tradition consists of sixty-five figures carved from translucent and coloured buffalo leather, without perforations or articulations except for, sometimes, a single mobile arm attached to the body of the figure by a leather pin.

Shadow puppetry in Tamil Nadu is referred by the name “Tolpavaikoothu”, closely similar to that of Kerala. ‘Tol’ refers to leather; ‘pavai’ denotes doll and ‘koothu’ means play. This puppetry predominantly used red, yellow, green and blue watercolours in different combinations. Most of the puppet’s faces are painted with red or green colour, which makes it difficult to identify the good and bad characters. Only few of the characters have movable joints. The female characters are not as curvy or exaggerated as the others. Although the puppets are completely different from one another, the performance style is similar to that

Several forms of shadow and puppet theatre have flourished in China during the centuries. Chinese shadow puppets vary in size from approximately 20 cm to one meter. They are cut from leather that is treated and coloured so that they became transparent. Their legs, waists, shoulders and elbows can be bent, and their arms are constructed from two parts. Thus the puppets can imitate human movements when they are operated with rods behind a paper or muslin screen. Their reflections on the screen are colourful and their finer details are chiselled in the leather as a kind of filigree ornamentation.

In Thailand, “Nang yai” (‘large puppet’) is an ancient form of shadow theatre in which dancing puppeteers perform scenes from the Ramakien by presenting cut-out leather figures against a semi-transparent cloth screen. The nang yai puppets are large, 1–2 metres oval or almost round non-articulated leather silhouettes, in which the characters from the Ramakien are engraved as if in a frame. In front of the screen are often the musicians of the traditional Thai piphad orchestra, consisting of oboes, xylophones, gong sets, and other percussion instruments. These puppets are usually immobile and the entire frames are moved during the show.

narration to the accompaniment of the pin-peat orchestra. It would have as many as 10 or 12 puppeteers to perform in this ancient art form. The leather panels are intricately incised with heroic figures, princesses, giants, monkeys and other characters as well as contextual forms such palaces, battle scenes, forests etc.

“Rabana Chhaya” is a form of shadow puppetry from the eastern Indian state of Odisha. “Rabana Chhaya” directly translates to ‘Ravana’s story’ which is what the show mainly depicts. It has been named after the villain of the Ramayana due to the influence of Jains and the Tamils, both of whom view Rabana with greater sympathy than other Hindus. The lyrics for the performance are taken from the Bichitra Ramayana by the Oriya poet Biswanatha Khuntia. The puppets are not coloured, have no joints and have perforations that outline their figures and costumes.

In Europe, all the knowledge about shadow puppets came from China, but European Shadow Theater has a style that is different from Eastern shadow puppetry. European shadow puppets are designed to hide the puppet rods that are used to move the puppets, so the

of Tholu bommalata.

“Wayang” is the traditional theatre of Java, Sunda (West Java), Bali, Lombok, Sumatra, Kalimantan in Indonesia and Malaysia that have been influenced by Javanese culture. The term ‘wayang’ is said to come from ‘bayang’ (shadow). Shadow theatre puppetry is considered the model for other forms of this puppet, mask or dance performance. The dramatic stories depict mythologies, such as episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as local adaptations of cultural legends. Wayang kulit are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang. ‘Kulit’ means skin, and refers to the leather construction of the puppets that are carefully chiselled with fine tools, supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods, and painted in beautiful hues, including gold. One main puppeteer and an entire orchestra is involved in the performance.

In Cambodia, the shadow play is called “Nang Sbek Thom”, or simply as “Sbek Thom” which literally translates to ‘large leather hide’, “Sbek Touch” which refers to ‘small leather hide’ and lastly, “Sbek Por” which means ‘coloured leather hide’. Nang sbek thom is an art that involves mime, song, music and dance as well as

Cambodia “Nang Sbek Thom” Indonesia “Wayang”

“Rabana

Odisha Chhaya”

“bahulya

Maharashtra chamdyacha”

craft

CLIMATIC

ACCESS AND TRANSPORTATION in OCCUPATIONEDUCATIONTOURISMcomparison

DEMOGRAPHICABOUTNIMMALAKUNTA CONDITIONS

By BusDharmavaram APSRTC Bus Station, Bukkapatnam APSRTC Bus Station and Kothacheruvu APSRTC Bus Station are the closest bus stations to Nimmalakunta. APSRTC runs a number of buses from major cities to here. One can take the APSRTC local bus to reach Nimmalakunta. The local bus ticket costs Rs.10 to reach the Nimmalakunta bus stop from Dharmavaram bus junction.

Access and transportation

Climatic conditions

Dharmavaram has 2 types of climates prevailing, namely the tropical savanna climate and semi-arid climate. The highest average temperature in Dharmavaram is 39°C in april and the lowest is 29°C in november. The average annual temperature for Dharmavaram is 33° degrees and there is about 264 mm of rain in a year. It is dry for 244 days a year with an average humidity of 53%.Nimmalakunta has identical climatic conditions to Dharmavaram. We were at the leather puppetry cluster in Nimmalakunta from 17th November to 21st

NimmalakuntaAbout

Nimmalakunta is a small village/hamlet in Dharmavaram Mandal in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh State, India.

It is located 48 KM towards South from District head quarters Anantapur. It is 9 KM away from Dharmavaram and approximately 406 KM from State capital NimmalakuntaHyderabad.issurrounded by Chennekothapalle Mandal towards the west, Kothacheruvu Mandal towards in the South, Bathalapalle Mandal towards the North, and Bukkapatnam Mandal towards East.

Dharmavaram , Anantapur , Kadiri , Pavagada are the nearby cities to Nimmalakunta.

November, 2019. The average temperatures during this time was 24.7°C and range was 19.5°C - 30°C. We experienced direct bright sunlight during midday as well as rainfall on 19th November, 2019.

By RailBasampalle Rail Way Station and Dharmavaram Junction Rail Way Station are the closest railway stations to Nimmalakunta. The Dharmavaram railway station is 21 minutes, that is, 12 km away from Nimmalakunta.

By RoadDharmavaram is the Nearest Town to Nimmalakunta. Dharmavaram is 13 km from Nimmalakunta. Road connectivity has been established from Dharmavaram to Nimmalakunta. One can reach the leather puppetry cluster by local Rickshaw which costs Rs.10-20 per person.

It comes under Pothulanagepalle Panchayath. It belongs to the Rayalaseema region.

Map of Nilammakunta

The third generations (15-25 years old) have attended school. Most of them have completed basic school education up to 10th standard. Some of them are keen to join college education and aspire to take up government jobs such as teachers, administrators etc. The reason for achieving higher education among the younger generation is due to their economic condition, which enables them to attend school as well as sustain their art form and their livelihood. The nearest school is the government (Sarkari) school in the heart of Nimmalakunta. This is where most of the artist’s children go to seek primary education. Other schools nearby are the Zilla Parishad High school, Namala School as well as the M.P. U. P. School.

puppeteers (30-50 years of age) have gone to school and studied from 5th to 8th standard and some of them have even studied up to 10th standard.

Tourism

The project aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage and art forms existent in these villages, and to develop sustainable tourism products around it without compromising on the fragile biodiversity of the region. The tourism destinations are entirely managed by the communities themselves, thus generating alternate sources of livelihood, and in turn, putting these villages on the tourism map.

Nimmalakunta has been promoted as a tourist destination in and around dharmavaram. The government contributes by promoting the craft of leather puppetry as well as the leather puppetry show at the Rural Tourism Centre Nimmalakunta – Leather arts and puppets.

Dharmavaram is a hub for pure silk sarees. The economy of the town is dependent on the weaving industry. A lot of signages and stores advertise these silk sarees. The town also boasts of the leather puppetry art.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Andhra Pradesh, describing the state as the ‘Koh-i-Noor of India’. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority, appointed as a nodal agency by the department of tourism Govt. of Andhra Pradesh to encourage tourism in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It has conceptualised Project Sanskriti, a concept to encourage rural tourism in the Anantapur district, thus showcasing the life, art , culture and heritage of rural Anantapur. As part of Project Sanskriti, Culture Aangan has been chosen as the Implementing Agency to develop rural tourism in the villages of Lepakshi, Veerapuram and Nimmalakunta.

The first generation puppeteers (above 60 years of age) do not have any form of formal education and due to their wandering nature, they never went to school. However, they are very good at oral traditions and are able to narrate the episodes full of songs and dialogues by practice. They also have incredible amount of learning capacity to memorize verses and

Education

Thehymns.second-generation

As far as the training in Tholu Bommalata is concerned, certain senior artists and masters of the craft are trying to work towards teaching the younger generations and keeping the craft alive. The government organizes leather puppetry classes in the District Industrial Centre, Anantapura where one can receive a formal training in the art. Most of the classes are taught by National level and state level winners. Mr. S. Anjaneyulu and his family have

Primary school at Nimmalakunta

contributed to the community of Nimmalakunta by building a community artist centre. In this centre, artists come to work and locals are given training. Students (5-30 years) are given training in the art for 5 – 8 months. Classes are taken every day for children to be given initial training. They start by drawing animals and figures on paper. Slowly, they begin using colors and paints. Once the master is convinced, they progress to line drawing on waste leather. Classes are also given to teach the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata to children. Advanced training classes conducted by the master include the differentiations between each character in the epics as well as vocal training for the songs sung during the show.

The secondary form of occupation is the art of leather puppetry. Majority of the households rely on the craft whilst also cultivating farmlands. However, few families depend on puppetry to be their primary source of income. Majority of the families in this village practice this art. The Andhra Pradesh Handicraft Board, A.P. Tourism, private craft organizations etc., give regular order for leather artifacts, which are sold through the craft exhibitions held regularly all over the country. The puppeteers from Nimmalakunta, Dharmavaram and Narasaraopet regularly participate in craft exhibitions held in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Madurai, Trivandrum, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, etc. An artist informed us that these exhibitions happen 4 – 5 times a year and he carries at least

The primary source of income for the people of Nimmalakunta is Agriculture and farming. They usually grow peanuts, rice, sunflower, tomato, eggplant, chilly, etc. Peanuts are a primary crop for this region. Few other families are also involved in sorting and distribution of the peanuts.

3 – 5 lakhs worth of leather puppetry with him whenever he goes to any major city. The DCH as well as private organizations invite a lot of artist’s from Nimmalakunta and Dharmavaram to countries abroad in order to make puppets and perform shows. The artists also apply for district level, state level and national level awards through this art. Tertiary occupation in this region is cattle and livestock. The cattle usually consist of goats, cows and sheep. We also witnessed cattle rearing whilst we were in Nimmalakunta. The livestock consists of chickens, hens, ducks, turkeys,

Terteriaryetc.occupation

Occupation

is cattle

Woman sorting groundnuts

Primary occupation is agriculture

ETHnOGRAPHYCULTURE

CLOTHINGRELIGIONLANGUAGEFOODANDFESTIVALMUSICANDDANCEARCHITECTUREANDACCESSORIES

Culture

The local language of the region is Telugu which is a Sanskrit derivative language. Due to their ancestral trails, Marathi is also spoken by few. It is not the authentic Marathi spoken in Maharashtra but a dialect of Marathi which is heavily influenced by the Telugu.

Food

Though the performance is done in Telugu language, all of them speak a dialect of Marathi at home and among their community members. However, they cannot read or write Marathi language. Generation ago, puppeteers learnt Telugu for songs and stories for their performance. The second and the present generation is well versed in Telugu language and can read, write and speak with others in their state.

Many scholars confirm that several families involved in tholu bommalata have a Marathi origin, many of them still speak a Marathi dialect called ‘Aare’ or remember their predecessors doing so. According to historical sources, in the 17th century, groups of performers from Maharashtra moved to the southern regions of the Indian subcontinent (Nagabushana Sarma 1985). Whilst preserving the Aare dialect for homely environments, these puppeteers chose to perform in Telugu, embracing the centuries old puppetry tradition they found in the Andhra region. Few artisans were well-versed in Hindi and could understand the basics of English.

In Dharmavaram, we tried an array of restaurants across the town. We started off by trying the food from a local food chain called Murari Multicuisine Restaurants. This was one of the most well-known and expensive restaurants in Dharmavaram. We also had the taste of really good filter coffee at Sitar A/c Restaurant. The real treasure, however, was located in the small alleys of Dharmavarm, hidden in plain sight. Mool Udipi Brahmana Hotel was an old local south Indian café which offered us one of the best ghee roast masala dosas, rasam vadas and piping hot filter coffee.

Language

Woman making Pappu (dal)

They only served their specialities, that is, south Indian breakfast meals.

The crops grown in Nimmalakunta include rice, peanuts, tomato, eggplant, chillies, potatoes and lentils. The staple food of Nimmalakunta is Annam (rice), Pappu/Byaalu (dal or lentils), aalu sabji (potato), Verusenaga (peanut chutney). They also like to add meeru (chillies) in their food according to authentic Telugu cuisine.

During our visit to the cluster, we realized very early on that the people of Nimmalakunta welcomed us into their home with cups of chai

The people of Nimmalakunta prepare food as per the Telugu cuisine. Known for its tangy and spicy taste, the cooking is diverse due to the vast spread of the people and varied topological regions. Coastal Andhra and Telangana — have distinctive cuisines, where in semi-arid Telangana state region, millet-based breads is predominant staple food, while rice is predominant in irrigated Andhra.

and coffee. Their hospitality was not a formal invitation but that of love and genuine care. Whilst our interactions, they would often ask us if we had our lunch or if we were well fed. In fact, we also had the opportunity to eat lunch at a local artist’s house.

We waited at the doorstep while his wife prepared for us their staple household dishes such as Pappu (dal), Annam (rice), Vadal (onion pakoda/bhajji), and Chintapudi (peanut and chilli powder). According to the artist’s wife, spicy food was meant to nourish us and give us strength and power. She said spicy food was especially important for those who work in the fields so that they would derive energy and could work for longer hours.

Temple in Nimmalakunta

Pappu (dal) served with rice

Hinduism is the major religion in Dharmavaram city with 85.73 % followers. Islam is second most popular religion in city of Dharmavaram with approximately 13.68 % following it. In Dharmavaram city, Christinity is followed by

Religion and Festivals

celebrated by the people of Nimmalakunta include Ram Navami, Ugaadi and Ravana Samhara which is also called Dusshera. Whilst sticking to their Maharashtrian traditions and culture, they also celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Puppetry shows are performed for all these festivals from the Hindu epics in context and relation to the particular festival. The artists pray to Vishvakarma on Vishvakarma Jayanti in which they hold a puja for their tools and equipments. During the festival of Deepawali, artists

Mosque in Nimmalakunta

As per our primary research, most of the citizens of Nimmalakunta are Hindu. However, we did observe that there is a mosque located not very far from the village. In Nimmalakunta itself, there are a few temples as well as a church in the heart of the village. According to one of the artists, they belong to the caste of ‘Bommalata’ which directly means puppeteers. To bring more complexity into the social relations of caste groups in Andhra, ‘Bommalata’ is not recognized as a caste on paper due to which the artists have to resort to

picking the closest caste ‘Chitrakaar’ on official documents. The government assists them in the form of reservations, scholarships and loan Theopportunities.Hindufestivals

0.32 %, Jainism by 0.02 %, Sikhism by 0.02 % and Buddhism by 0.02 %. Around 0.01 % stated ‘Other Religion’, approximately 0.22 % stated ‘No Particular Religion’ (census 2011)

as Nimmalakunta is concerned, Tholu Bommalata involves the culture and heritage embodied and influenced by Andhra Pradesh. The musical instruments used during the performance of Tholu Bommalata consist of a harmonium, a table or a mrudangam (a long, two-headed South Indian drum with tapering ends); ghungru (strings of bells worn on the ankles and wrists); jhaanjh (pair of finger cymbals). A wooden shoe with stilts, called taal, is used to keep its wearer above the mud during the rainy season, and can be struck against schoolchildren’s seating planks to create dramatic clacking and banging sound effects for fight scenes. The singing style and the conventions of vocal delivery that accompany tholu bommalata closely resemble the form of singing from an old-fashioned drama genre known as ‘Satya bhama kalapam’.

organize a puppet show in which they perform for the entire night. Some of the troupes are patronized by local temples where they perform during festival. They worship village Gods and Goddess as well as Puranic deities like Rama, Krishna, Ganesha, Shiva and Anjaneya (Hanuman). They worship Rama as their family deity due to the influence of local belief and long stay in Andhra Pradesh. The landmark temple in Nimmalakunta is that of Anjaneya (Hanuman) in which a variety of festival performances take place.

Instruments used while performing the puppet show

Artsian playing their heir family heirloom

300 BC and since then, it has been a great contribution to Indian classical dance. Other dance forms of Andhra Pradesh include Bhamakalpam originated from Kuchipudi, Burrakatha Burrakatha earlier known as Jangam Katha, Veeranatyam Veeranatyam, Butta Bommalu Butta Bommalu, Dappu and Tappeta

AsGullu.far

The rich cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh is evident from the world renowned Carnatic music. The state is home to some of the most popular classical musicians like Thyagaraja and ThisAnnamacharya.statehaspresented a wide range of performing arts, including dance, drama and music, to the world. Kuchipudi, the renowned classical dance has emerged from Andhra Pradesh. This dance form had originated in

Music and Dance

Clothing and Accessories

The dressing style is very traditional in this region as per the rural norms. Females of Nimmalakunta wear sarees. The older women tend to wear cotton sarees on a day to day basis which resembles the Nauwari or Lugda in Maharashtra. The bottoms of their feet tend to be yellow and dipped in Turmeric. They also wear silver anklets, nose rings, stud earrings, the Mangal sutra (if they are married), bangles and apply sindhur or a bindi on their forehead. Anklets are called “Gajjelu” or “Gulusu”.

On occasions, the women adorn themselves with colourful silk sarees, green bangles, flowers or garlends in their hair, diamond earrings, diamond nose rings and gold rings.

The younger generation of married women wear colourful georgette or artificial silk sarees. According to certain beliefs and traditions, married women either tie a bun or a tight braid which remains behind their shoulders. We were

told that putting the braid in front of our shoulders indicated we were looking for a spouse or available for matrimonial offers.

The unmarried teenage girls wear salwaar and kurta or a kurta with a long skirt. Girls between the ages of 3 – 12 years wear a blouse and a long skirt with two braids.

The male members of the community wear only cotton dhoti and shirt or a kurta (long shirt). While working, they tend to wear a white banyan and tie a patterned dhoti or dhotar, similar to the Koli (fishermen) community wear in Maharashtra. All the senior puppeteers sport a moustache and white clothing. They also tie a turban or headgear called pheta, similar to Marathi community, during formal functions as well as during performances. The newer generation wears shorts made of jersey material and a shirt or a T-shirt.

architectural sites exist in the region of Anantpura district. Penukonda fort is an impenetrable fortress perched atop a hill, Penukonda once served as the second capital of the Vijayanagara Empire after the fall of Hampi. Ravadurg Gooty Fort belonging to the 7th century is a stunning example of the architectural excellence of the past. The fort, located at an altitude of 300 meters

Manycommunity.prominent

Architecture

The bus stop of Nimmalakunta was a small bench beside a chai store/ tea stall. Few of the storage rooms had huge semi circular arches which were very peculiar and acted as a landmark for the bus stop. The Hanuman temple in this village had a large stage and various benches for people to meet as a

In Nimmalakunta, the architecture mainly consisted of small petite houses usually one bedroom or one room-kitchen. They were either for the artist’s families or were specially dedicated as a studio for their craft. These houses were painted in pastel shades like cream, blue, pink, yellow or in bright colours like mint green and bright blue. Few houses were also painted stark white and had an orange flag on top symbolizing maharashtrian ancestory and the tholu bommalata symbol.

The community centre build by Mr. S. Anjaneyulu consisted of large curved arch ways, carved pillars and intricate floral doorways.

Artisan Houses

Hemavathi is an ancient place, which has historic significance. It was the capital of Pallava kings in the 9th and 10th centuries. Aluru Kona is a small village, which is famous for Ranganathaswamy Temple. This temple, situated on hilltop was constructed in the year 1334 AD. The waterfall here flows throughout the Lepakshiyear.

houses 15 forts inside and rightly earns the name ‘King of Forts’.

architectural brilliance possessed by the artisans. Raidurga Fort in Anantapur is a for which has played a dominant role in the history of the district. Mostly in ruins now, the fort was once invincible. It houses many famous temples.

Interior of Artisan Houses

is situated 110 km from Anantapur. Lepakshi is famous for its architectural features and remains to this day a tourist attraction. The place has 108 Shiva temples. Lord Veerabhadhra Temple belonging to the 16th century displays fine architectural skills. The intricately carved pillars and rock sculptures speak volumes of

The puppet show

Folklore and beliefs the show the stage the puppeteers the performance

troupes attached to temples believe in the ‘deity’ of the temple that will protect the art form and secure livelihood. In the past, the puppet shows were performed during a wedding, a ritual or festival in the local temple as it was considered auspicious due to the enactment of Ramayana. In the famineaffected districts, the villagers believed that Tholu bommalatta performance evoked the blessings of the rain god. Chandrasekar (1961) writes that in Anantapur district during drought period in 1959-60, local people arranged a Tholu bommalatta performance, which brought in the much - needed rain. “Predominantly, all our ancestors were farmers. So, rain was one of the most important things for us,” says Sreeramullu, an artist from Nimmalakunta. Sarma (1985) mentions that ‘Sundarakandam’ episode from Ramayana brings rain and this belief is prevalent even today in Rayalaseema (southern district) areas of the state.

Folklore and beliefs

The artists have followed the Ranganatha Valmiki Ramayana during their performance for generations. This Ramayana consists of a total of 9 kandas or parts. Sundara Kanda, Lanka Dahanam, Kishikinda Kanda, Mairavana Charitra and Ayodhya Kanda, are a few which are popular and are often enacted. Each kanda (part) of the Ramayana has two to three subplots that make interesting subjects for puppet shows. These parts were performed to spread the name of these epics across the four corners of the country. Thus, the puppeteers who travelled like gypsies were considered noble and chaste for the craft they make and their performance of it.

ItNimmalakunta.isbelievedthat the clown puppets, through their grotesque physical nature, serve as a mannequin protecting the performers, puppets and audiences from the evil eyes. They also protect the building and crops in village (Goldberg Bell, 1984). The clown puppets

Similar to other state traditions, the Tholu bommalatta players also revere their puppets. During certain auspicious festivals like Ramanavami, the puppets are worshipped. Some troupes treat Rama and Sita puppet with great care. According to our secondary research, certain traditions conclude that artists make sure that other characters like Lakshmana is not kept on the top of Sita puppet. This tradition is followed as they believe that Sita puppet is a sacred and chaste character and should not be kept with other puppet characters. However, we did not observe any such tradition in

help to establish a vital link with the past puppeteers. Singh (1999) writes that generation of puppeteers places a tuft of their own hair in the crop of clown puppets. Thus, a link is established with hair of many generations, when it is handed over to the next performer in the Somelineage.ofthe

Tholu Bommalata was not a sustainable art is terms of treatment of the artisan’s in society and their social status. Animal leather and its manufacturers were considered impure in India as they belonged to the ‘lower caste’. It is an irony as they were the ones spreading the name of god across the country. These puppeteers

were not only skilled in making extremely intricate puppets but were also skilled in handling the puppets and singing while doing so. Moreover, tholu bommalata performances were historically held in the sacred precincts of temples, on sacred occasions such as religious festivals. The process through which such impure material is allowed to represent divine stories is ritualistic in nature starting from manufacturing and ending only with the ‘death’ of the puppet.

The ritualistic dimensions of tholu bommalata puppets are also evident in the decorative conventions. Often the puppets are adorned in repeated tilak symbols on various body parts. The most prevalent tilak is a U-shaped symbol with a small ovoid at the base, representing the sacred imprint of the god Vishnu. The oval at the base represents the tulsi leaf, the holy basil. For a Vaishnava devotee, marking their body with the tilak indicates consecration to the God. Through the sign—ritually applied at twelve points on the head, trunk and arms— the devotee’s body is equalized to the temple as a divine dwelling. Likewise, the depiction of one or more tilak on the puppets is part of their consecration process and guarantees the presence of divinity. Attending a shadow theatre performance also has a protective power for the community, since the tilak protects both the body which it is traced and whoever looks at it.

Puppet of Sita

Traditionally, the screen received illumination from a row of castor oil earthenware lamps, but in the last decades this system has been replaced by electric lighting. The old style of illumination had a more uniform and natural way of spreading rays. While with electric bulbs, concentric distribution of light is a problem; the the show

the stage

The main peculiarity of the shadow theatre stage is its shape; it is closed behind a white screen of fabric; and the puppets appear behind this white curtain. The audience sees their coloured shadows, not the actual puppets. Tholu bommalata is a bi-dimensional show where all the puppeteers’ actions happen behind the white fabric. The screen must be very tight, and in order to obtain this result it is firmly tied to a frame of poles.

The puppets are secured to the screen and sometimes it is slightly bent towards to the audience to better accommodate larger puppets and for ease of puppeteers’ work. The screen size is consistent with the size of the puppets, reaching the impressive size of eight by two and a half metres; though nowadays smaller screens of three/four meters by two are more common. The screen is called jalmandalika in Telegu.

The screen is raised on a platform and its lower part is covered in a black cloth in order to allow the puppeteers to operate while standing.

Tholushow.

bommalata is performed outdoors and the stage is a temporary structure traditionally realized by the contribution of the hosting village. The building material in the past was supplied by the wealthy villagers, who also concurred in assembling and disassembling the structure. The large screen is made of white fabric. Traditionally it was the village dhobi (launderer) who provided two white saris (varying from 4 to 8 metres in length and 60 to 120 centimetres in height) or dhotis (measuring around 5 metres by 90 centimetres) for the

change of the illumination system also caused some changes in the puppets’ manufacturing— nowadays the puppets are painted with lighter colours so that brighter lights do not vitiate the

The backstage

purpose; and the lamps were provided by the barber. In the past, the area enclosed behind the screen was a temporary hut where the crew resided for the duration of the long performance split over one week or more.

to conduct a performance, 8 or more puppeteers are needed along with a screen. Two to three puppeteers are required to handle the puppets, one person plays the harmonium and sings, another person plays the tabla, while one or more people are required for narration and singing. Each character has a different voice, thus, the puppeteers either use voice modulation or a different person is assigned for

The puppeteers

puppeteers in a troupe can vary from five to ten people. Usually there are three to four main performers, including the bhagavatar. Whilst preserving the Aare dialect for homely environments, these puppeteers chose to perform in Telugu, embracing the centuries old puppetry tradition they found in the Andhra

Inregion.order

The cloth is bleached and starched multiple times in order to achieve its white colour and firm texture. The cloth is tightly bound to the bamboo or metal poles by thread so as to have no wrinkles or depressions in the screen. Three to four light bulbs are used behind the screen, depending on the size. These bulbs are hung at a distance of half a meter and usually at a height above the puppeteers’ heads. Yellow light is used in order to create the maximum amount of contrast and theatrics during the performance.

The erection of the stage started with prayers to Rama and Hanuman, but no specific rituals were seen.

Tholu bommalata puppets are decorated pieces of leather, but behind the white screen they come to life with the action of the puppeteer. Tholu bommalata shows are choral actions and require a group effort; such groups—the troupes—are family based, the profession is passed on from father to son on a patriarchal line. The head of the family is also the head of the troupe and his title is ‘bhagavatar’ or ‘sutradhar’. The latter is the most common title for directors in Indian performing arts, but in tholu bommalata the title of bhagavatar appears to be more widespread (GoldbergBelle 1984). Members of the troupe are part of the extended family of the bhagavatar, both male and female. According to the family composition, numbers can vary; in some instances in the past, it was reported that a puppeteer could take more than one wife in order to facilitate the performance (Nagabushana Sarma 1985). The number of

The performance

The tholu bommalata shows traditionally take place during the nine nights of Shivratri outside the temples dedicated to Shiva, the patron of this art. These performances used to go on for the entire night at a stretch. Nowadays, the performances are disconnected from the ritualistic contexts. The duration of the shows has been adapted to modernity, and a complete show lasts around two hours. Many companies have adapted their repertoire to the timing of

theatre festivals with shorter performances. The number of puppets used in a performance depends on the epic and its characters. Krishna Leela requires 300 puppets, Ramayana needs 400 puppets while as the performance of Mahabarata requires 800 puppets in total. The puppets, being 8 feet tall, are stored in a large metal box or chest backstage. The puppets are laid flat inside the box and a person is assigned to hand out the puppets and keep them back during the performance.

Due to the large size of the puppets, they can only be manipulated one at a time, and usually on the scene there are two or three puppets per scene. Each puppeteer is not only well-versed in the manipulation techniques, but also in singing, playing some instrument, and recitation. As said before, puppeteers are also engaged in puppetmaking. During the performance, the puppeteer not only moves the puppet but also reads its lines. Dancing puppets take their movements from the puppeteer who behind the screen

each puppet. Males usually handle the puppets and play the musical instruments while as women contribute by singing and narrating the performance. Younger family members help in handling the puppets and in other backstage duties, and this is how their training starts when they are just toddlers. Mainly training is attained through experience, while more organic training sessions are needed for the memorization of the epic texts in Telugu.

art, the show starts with an invocation to Ganesha, which aims at removing the obstacles and allows a good performance. Traditionally, before the invocation to Ganesha, all the puppets participating in the performance are placed on the two sides of the screen so that they can benefit from the God’s blessings. Ganesha performs a dance on the rhythm of a ‘daruvu’, folk designation of the accompanying

Thesong.next

These long and tiring performances were interwoven with comedy skits, often obscene in content, in which grotesque characters of jesters entertain the audience with silly and irreverent dialogues. These skits are not related to epic texts performed. The more or less explicit representation of sexual attributes and marked obscenity of the dialogues depend solely on the tradition of the family. These jesters entertain the audience with their dialogues, and sometimes also make incursions in the epic narrative. The obscene aspect of the jesters has been lost since the 1970s; and nowadays they appear as grotesque humanoids.

actually dances in a style close to kuchipudi, the classical dance style of Andhra Pradesh, mirrored in the dancing shadow. The performance is divided into different segments: introduction, main story, and comedy skits. On this basic formula, different troupes build their show.

puppet to appear is another divine figure, Saraswathi, the Goddess of learning and wisdom. She is made to dance, and in recent years she is sometimes replaced by a dancer puppet. During the dance performance, the puppeteer dances behind the screen, infusing their movements to the shadow puppet. After the invocation to Saraswathi, a recitation in praise of the audience is recited by the jester characters: Bangarakka, Jettupoligatu and Ketigadu.

According to secondary research, the performance requires some ritualistic preliminary actions, before the puppets appear. The evanescent shadows of the troupe are visible, and the bhagavatar performs pooja; a coconut is broken on the stage and some prayers recited—sometimes, auspicious signs are outlined on the white screen. However, we did not observe any such rituals at Dharmavaram. This ritual allows the God to enter the stage, and the first character appears, Lord Ganesha.

Comedy Skits:

Introduction

In earlier times, a show lasted many hours and it was performed at night so that the coloured shadows of the puppets could be visible on the white screen mounted outdoor. Shadow puppet shows must be performed in the dark.

Obscene puppets which are no longer used

These comic skits constitute the connection among puppeteers, puppets and the audience, since the clowns are allowed to communicate with all the people involved. The puppeteers use the clown puppets to express gratitude to the patrons, but also to harshly criticize stingy sponsors, and to condemn those who have not contributed to the realization of the show. Jesters fall in a grey zone between human and puppet, and their interjections in the performance are the most lively and obtain enthusiastic reactions from the audience they actively involved in the event.

The performance begins with a series of sung invocations and a line of ornate, strikingly stylized puppets pinned in overlapping fashion onto the sides of the screen. The puppets are mounted in the middle on a palm stem, extended to form a handle used to move the body of the puppet. Their articulated arms are moved with detachable sticks that have a small piece of string with a peg at the end, which slip into holes on the hands. Generally, one puppeteer manipulates all three sticks of a single puppet, holding the central handle stick in one

The main story:

dialogues begin.

The core of the performance is represented by epic stories. The repertoire of tholu bommalata performances is mostly based on the Ramayana and to a lesser extent on the Mahabarata, and some Vaishnava texts such as the Bhagavata Purana. During the performance, several characters appear on the screen. Usually when a main character enters the scene, it is introduced by a song and it dances before the actual

In order to make the performance easily understandable by the audience, the different characters follow different entry conventions: the divinities enter the screen from the right side of the audience, while the other characters from the left; demons, on the other hand, fall from the top or make sudden entrances accompanied by special effects such as flames and explosions or even loud voices.

Characters were also distinguished by their voices and tones during performances. The puppeteers would often have to use voice

The performers greet the audience after the puppet show

The puppeteers accompany all the character’s speeches with animated movement of the arms and hands, which they can flip over to create a three-dimensional effect. The swaying

of freely dangling legs also adds to the feeling of animation. When several puppets are stationary on the screen at the same time, they can be pinned to the screen with date palm thorns. A puppet can be rapidly pinned with one or two of the long, thin thorns passed through perforations in a headdress or shoulder ornaments. Such puppets are still able to engage in animated conversation by means of the sticks moving their hands. Characters that engage in rough fighting, such as the monkey king Hanuman or the jesters, are often held from the hip, enabling them to be moved with greater control than by the central stick alone.

hand and two arm-control sticks in the other. Often two to three puppeteers operate puppets on the screen at the same time, each one delivering the lines for his or her own puppet. As the players manipulate the puppets, placing them on the screen and then moving them away, they create the illusion of the figures suddenly materializing and then fading out. They also cause the figures to walk, sway, hop, and fly through the air. They can swivel a dancer’s detachable head and manipulate her hands while keeping her hips swaying to create a remarkable illusion of twirling.

Differentinstrument).families

stated, music plays a crucial role in tholu bommalata performances—the scenic sounds are obtained through the use of wood planks and anklets of bells. The performances are accompanied by live music and songs. The troupe performs both solo songs and chorus pieces. The musicians are usually behind the screen, behind the puppeteers. The musical instruments used are: tablas, mridangam, muddala (percussions), harmonium, cymbals, shanka (conch) and mukhaveena (wind

modulation to achieve these different tones of voices. Ram was said to have a gentle, yet strong voice while as Seeta was said to be adorned with a sweet voice, thus called “vovila Kantham”. Ravana had a manly deep voice and a monstrous laugh to grab the attention of the Asaudience.already

can have different combination of instruments, usually played by junior puppeteers before they are ready to manipulate the puppets. The musicians are part of the family troupe, and during the performance they sit behind the puppeteers.

Music in Tholu Bommalata helps in rendering the dramatization of the scenes. Entrances, dialogues and fights; every part of the performance is enlivened by appropriate music and songs; and the type of music is a mix of classical and folk traditions. Despite inevitable adaptation to the timing of contemporary theatre, tholu bommalata keeps its conventions, and every show reflects the pattern outlined here.

form and design

Colour Story

Colour palette otherpuppetsproducts

Rama’s face is dark indigo in colour, as he is described in the Ramayana as a very darkskinned person. According to Chalapathi Rao, Rama is said to be blue to symbolize “neela megha shaama”, that is, the colour of the sky

Colour palette

Tholudeer.

Tholu Bommalata was known for its natural, non-toxic, organic colours. These colours lasted approximately 200 – 300 years. The age old puppets we saw, although tattered and slightly faded, still held colour. The locally available resources and materials heavily influenced the colour palette of the puppets. Flowers, fruits from the forests and additional methods of collecting colour would contribute to colours such as black, red, yellow, purple, green, pink, orange, etc. These colours would stand out on natural leather such as that made of goat or

The original colors were black, red and green and their intermixtures, made from the plant extracts, soot and various earths available to any artist family. In the earliest dolls one finds, besides red and black, shades of green, blue, yellow, brown and reddish blue, which harmonized with the reddish-yellow light of the oil lamp. The light amber of the unpainted leather was often used for female faces or for special costume effect.

Puppets

In the choice of colour, definite traditions are followed. Female figures are often kept in shades of yellow, orange and brown. Seeta was depicted with a copper shade, called “tamaram”, which not only depicted her status as goddess but also presented her story of being one with the earth. Her puppet is distinguished from the other females by her “dastalu” or clothes. Seeta is mostly shown wearing a “haldi” or yellow saree with a pink blouse.

When asked about the character distinctions and visual characteristics of each puppet, Mr. S. Anjaneyulu said it was not up to him to decide these. He informed us that these traditions were followed for generations and all the colours and designs were decided by the seniors of the community. These guidelines had to be followed for characters in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Any creativity could only be expressed within these tradition guidelines of the craft.

However, there are exceptions to these rules.

Bommalata was known for its natural, non-toxic, organic colours. These colours lasted approximately 200 – 300 years. The age old puppets we saw, although tattered and slightly faded, still held colour. The locally available resources and materials heavily influenced the colour palette of the puppets. Flowers, fruits from the forests and additional methods of collecting colour would contribute to colours such as black, red, yellow, purple, green, pink, orange, etc. These colours would stand out on natural leather such as that made of goat or deer.

Puppet manufacturing in tholu bommalata is at the crossroads of art and craft, mostly because it follows traditional conventions and rules. The leather process as well is not left to the artist’s choice but follows conventions. Certain characters can be identified, due to their complexion; for example, Rama and Krishna are depicted with blue skin, and female characters have predominant yellow or orange tones.

and the clouds. Ram was also distinguished by yellow and “narang” (orange) costumes. Rama’s loyal follower and brother, Lakshman, has a light, womanish facial tint, corresponding to his mild character. Both Ram and Lakshman were layered with gold or “survarna” as a base colour so as to stay true to the depiction of the Ramayana. These undertones of metal would bring “Kaanti” or shine to the godly puppets. Lakshman is always depicted using “laal” (red)

Puppet of Urmila, Lakshmana;s wife

wife, Urmila, is characterized by a “Raani” (pink) saree and a green blouse. Shatrughna, similar to his brother Lakshman, is represented by orange and blue clothing. Shatrughna’s wife, Shrutakirti, is symbolised by a fully pink ensemble. Ram’s brother Bharat, is distinguished by white pearly skin, orange clothes and a green pallu. Bharat’s wife, Mandavi, is shown to be in an orange saree and a blue blouse similar to that of her husband. Goddesses such as Saraswati and Lakshmi are depicted using “telepu” (white) and red sarees respectively. Red is shown to the colour of strength, fertility and prosperity while as white depicts purity.

Lakshman’sclothing.

Krishna is coloured differently to give emphasis to him

Ravana is painted in showy red colours, in this context depicting evil, with “neela” that is blue, and black clothing with accents of gold. This shows his strength, wealth and aggression as a ruler of Lanka. Mandodari, on the other hand, is shown to be in “chilkapaccha” or light green clothing in regards to her sombre nature.

With the use of artificial colours and pigments, more accuracy can be achieved with respect to the description of characters in the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Other products

Along with changing times, artists have tried to adapt their craft to accommodate certain aesthetics and reach a larger audience. For larger wall pieces inspired by Hindu epics, the artists use traditional colours. Mr. Anjaneyulu said he was mindful of the colours of each character in the painting as he would want the important ones (such as Krishna, Arjun, etc.) to stand out more than the rest of them. He also said he uses contrasting colours in order to achieve this. For example – no garment is coloured with blue around Lord Krishna due to his skin. Instead, colours such as red, orange or subtle yellows are used around him to signify the importance of the character. The artist also pays attention to details such as the shaal, dhoti, pallu, haar/ garland, which have to have different yet complimentary colours.

As far as lamps and commercial products are concerned, the artists have started marketing monochromatic products which have black line work with one colour throughout the piece, for example – black and yellow. Artists have also tapped into the audience which does not like bright colours by simply leaving the leather white and drawing intricate line work with black.

Close-up of attachment of limbs

as well as prominence. As the character is shown to move away, a smaller puppet replaces the larger one and vice versa. Dimensions can vary according to regional traditions. In different areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, there are differences in aspects and techniques of puppetry (Sorensen 1975).

Form and design

In present times, however, the forms of the puppets have evolved to be much more proportionate as compared to the rest of the body. The artists are masters in their craft and continue to make the puppets using their experience and approximation of the eye. An artist told us that few of his trade secrets were that the hands should reach the hips of the puppets and that all his puppets were using the proportion of the nose. He said he also used his rekini to draw out centre points to accurately form the puppet.

The form and design of the puppets have evolved over time. Two hundred years ago, less importance was given to the form and proportions of the puppets. For example – the puppets heads were bigger than the rest of the body. The arms and legs were a lot thinner and shorter than the torso. However, these imperfections added beauty and character to the art itself.

The Andhra Pradesh leather puppetry is said to the largest in terms of its size. Its puppets continue to be made in side profile to emphasis their big eyes and various curves of the body. The leather puppets are therefore obtained from pieces of hide or stiff parchment, and these are colored and bigger in size, when compared to similar craft work from other parts of the country. The sizes of the main characters range from 4’ x 1½’ to 6’ x 2½’. Smaller puppets, around 1’ in height, are also made, for supporting characters as well as for selling to tourists. Some of the characters are made in three different sizes for a sense of perspective

Puppets

Ram are larger and have a taller frame. This shows importance of the character and depicts the fact that he is the protagonist of the story. However, the puppets change with context. There is a clear distinction between the Ram and Seeta in the royal palace and the couple during exile. In the kingdom, Ram is dressed in extravagant clothes, jewelry, a crown as well as a gold bow. Seeta is dressed in royal attire such as a yellow saree and pink blouse with long silky hair and a mobile pallu. Seeta in exile, however, is depicted with a yellow saree devoid of any decoration, with a garland and braided hair. Ram, alongside his wife, wears clothing such as an orange dhoti, a flower garland and a wooden bow. This shows the simplicity and pious lifestyle they followed in the jungle which was a contrast to their royal

Other products

Leather puppetry was always influenced by Hindu epics and tales like Krishna leela, tulabhaar, Ramayana,etc. However, artists have started designing and making pieces which are

The tradition and knowledge of the form and colours of the puppets is usually bestowed by the elders and masters of the craft. Each child in the family is taught the specific aspects of the puppetry while learning each epic in detail. As of today, training is given to the younger generations about the clothes and form of the puppet with respect to the scene and context of the Charactersperformance.suchas

Ravanaancestry.is

with respect to social scenarios such as Gandhi Charitra, farming, village life, children’s tales, etc. Artists have also developed newer motifs to draw on wall hangings, lamps, jewellery, etc. which include peacocks, elephants, fishes, flowers, birds, kuchipudi faces, etc. In Nimmalakunta itself, we saw quite a few variations in styles and aesthetics of each artist. Artists have tried to create a range of products which vary in size such as three different sizes of the same lampshade. Instead of sticking to traditional tapering lamps, artists have creatively explored and worked alongside collaborations to make tiered chandeliers, triangular lampshades, wall clocks, door frames, etc. Artists have used their skills to work with major brands for example- an artist told us he closely works with a luxury jewellery brand which used miniature leather jewellery in their collections.

always shown with a large crown, heavily adorned ornate jewellery and his ten heads. But apart from the translucency and vivid colours, what gives these puppets their brilliance, is the perforated designs drawn on the characters to depict jewellery. Once surrounded by colour and viewed against the light, they look like glowing jewels.

leather processing

red blackpigmentpigment

Making of pigments

introduction to materialmaterial

The manufacturing of the puppets used to involve three types of skins such as antelope, spotted deer and goat. Antelope skins were usually used while making limited number of characters like important gods and epic heroes. Deer skin, which is known for its strength and resistance, was used for the figures of warriors like Bhima and the ten-headed demon king of Ramayana, Ravana. The kind of leather used was of utmost importance and responds to specific traditions—in fact the most precious and expensive deer skin was used to manufacture gods and puppets of heroes, goat

3. It is strong and can be subjected to any force.

4. It is easily bendable and flexible.

6. It has a partially smooth texture which holds on to colour.

skin was used for human characters, while as buffalo skin was associated exclusively with demonic entities as it was considered impure (buffalo is the vehicle of Yama, god of death). Deer skin was used to make gods and goddesses such as Ram, Lakshman, Seeta, Vibheeshan, Shiva, Rukhmini, etc. as it was considered “shubh” or holy. Deer hide was used by Rishis (sages) to meditate and perform “tapasya”. Most of the other puppets were made from goat skin, which was readily available locally.

7. It can withstand moisture, humidity and water.

1. Leather is durable.

5. It is translucent and allows for diffused light to pass through.

2. It is a thin material to work on.

Leather processing

Tholu Bommalata, like any other craft, was sustainable in terms of its materials. Everything used and invested in the craft, came from nature and returned to nature. Using these natural resources available in and around Nimmalakunta, the art flourished. The jungles provided for leather and animal hide along with the fruits and flowers needed to make colour. However, with the availability of artificial paints and alternative materials, certain aspects of the craft have changed while as some have stayed the same.

In the past, hide was donated by patrons and enthusiast of the art such as kings or various village heads and sponsors. Mr. S. Anjaneyulu told us that many of the deer hides were gifted to the artists by hunters who did not have any use of it. In return for the skin, he would ask for his name to be engraved on the godly puppet so as to seek blessings from the god and praise from the audience who would watch the performance. Mr. Anjaneyulu informed us about the stark differences in deer skin and the goat skin used today. Deer skin, as mentioned before, was a lot stronger and thinner as compared to goat skin. As a result, it held colour for a longer period of time and due to its translucency, it performed better against the light. Tradition also asks silhouettes to be obtained from ‘non-violent’ skin, which is the skin of animals not specifically killed for their production, but who died a natural death. Deer and antelope skin has now been banned due to government regulations against poaching and killing of endangered species for their skin and hide. With the various changes in policies and the environment, this conventional method of using different kinds of animal hide is lost, and goat skin is used indifferently.

material

Taxonomy of the material (Leather)

3. Once the skin is clean of flesh and dirt, it is dipped in the bucket of hot water. If the artist prefers to whiten the skin, he uses “chuna” (that is, calcium carbonate) or salt. However, Mr. Doraiswamy preferred his skin to be slightly yellow and translucent.

Artisan removing the fur of the skin

Chaak

1. To source the skin, the artists of Nimmalakunta have to travel to Dharmavaram to butcher shops in order to obtain the skin. It is also bought from the Anantapur market. The raw skin of goat, called “Mansamp”, is procured from the daily market that starts at 6:00 a.m. The artists usually prefer to go on a Sunday; however, the artists are very careful in choosing the best quality of skin. The hide of a “Bakra” (male goat) is not preferred as it is too

thin while as that of a lamb is not preferred as it is too small. The skin should not be too thick (that of a fat goat) or too thin (that of a skinny goat). The artist looks for a skin which is of medium thickness, that of a five to six year old goat. This costs the artist approximately Rs. 500 – 600 depending on its size. If it is a smaller goat, it will cost Rs. 250 – 500. A large goat skin would cost the artist anywhere between Rs. 800 – 1500. As the butchers are very well familiar with the artists and their livelihood, they usually offer the skin at a discounted rate.

Mr. Dooraiswamy is an artist in Nimmalakunta who was gracious enough to allow us to see the leather processing near his house. He informed us that very few people in the village knew how to correctly clean the animal hide and form it into leather. These are the following steps we have documented in the leather making process (naturally processed):

4. After dipping the skin in hot water, the artist uses a knife called “Soora katthi” or a “Chaak”, similar to the word for knife in Marathi called “chaaku”. The flesh and hair attached to the

2. After the skin is bought, the artist brings it back to his house. Further the skin is soaked in water as soon as it is bought and then the skin is cleaned to remove the blood and dirt. He prepares two buckets, one with hot water and one with cold water. The hot water used should not be too hot otherwise the skin could shrivel and become smaller. At the same time, the water shouldn’t be cold as it would not remove the dirt and hair from the hide. The temperature is checked by the artist by dipping his finger and then dipping a small part of the goat skin.

10. The skin is tied from four corners. Additional string is used to tighten other parts of the hide. The artist uses approximation and his experience to determine how tight the skin should be. If it is too loose, the skin will not dry properly while as if the skin is too tight, it turns white and opaque and thus, the translucent element of leather is lost.

skin is scrapped with katthi.

5. The artist uses downward motions to scrape the hair from the skin so as to not damage it in the process. This is done while the skin is rested on the artist’s calf.

11. After the leather is tied properly, the artist runs the knife over the skin one last time in order to scrape excess water, dirt and hair.

Artisan stretching the skin on a cot

Machine processed leather

the hide to avoid any impressions or marks of the metal cot.

6. The entire skin is continuously dipped 8-10 times in the hot water and hair is then removed by vigorously rubbing the foot against the skin. It is flipped multiple times to reach every portion of the skin. The left over hair is removed either by hand or by the katthi. The knife is dipped in cold water so as to keep cleaning it. Thus process of completely removing the hair takes anywhere between 1-3 hours depending on the size of the goat and the speed at which the artist is cleaning. At times, it even takes 4-5 hours to clean the hide properly.

8. The skin is then spread and kept on the frame (cot like structure) along with newspaper. Newspaper or a white cloth is put under

7. Once the two sides of the skin are clean and start looking similar, the hide is dipped in cold water for one last time.

12. The skin is left to dry for 1-3 days depending on the heat and sunlight. During summer, it only takes a few hours (6-8 hours) for the leather to dry. In winter, it takes 2 – 3 days in broad daylight for the skin to dry appropriately. If it rains and the leather becomes wet, it turns into a yellow colour.

9. The knife is rubbed on a shining stone or a “Noorai” to make it sharp. The artist proceeds to make small cuts on the edges of skin in which plastic thread is inserted and tied to the frame.

Unlike naturally processed leather, industrially manufactured leather is mixed with “chuna” and kept to dry in the sun for 3 days to attain a white finish, however, this leads to its life span reducing. For the making of leather puppets, naturally processed leather is used as it has transparency properties due to which the colour used is visible clearly when light is focused.

advancements in technology, artists have also been exposed to the use of industrially processed leather. This is obtained by the artists from Pune, Sangli, Mumbai, etc. This leather costs Rs. 600 – 700 for a large piece.

13. After a long process of cleaning, the skin becomes translucent and ready for the artwork. Tholu bommalata shadow puppets are made of leather that undergoes specific treatments in order to look like translucent stiff parchment. The end result is an extremely thin, light and refined product, devoid of any smell. This leather is then used to make puppets or other products such as lamps, wall hanging, paintings,

Industrially processed leather is not used for making puppets, but for products like wall clocks, lamps, table decorations, etc. This is also because the artists mass produce commercial products and do not prefer to invest time in making their own leather.

Withetc.

Neem resin

1. Black is the most predominant colour used in every artwork of leather puppetry. It is made from the soot or ash, called “Masi” (black dust

the soot is collected, it is mixed with natural gum. This gum is the resin collected from the Neem tree bark. The resin tends to be bitter and prevents any insects from damaging the leather. It is an adhesive which binds the paint together and makes it long lasting. The white resin is collected from the barks during summer, usually in the month of april. Once they obtain the resin (which is in a liquid form), the artists dry it out in the sun until it turns into solid chunks. The gum is then stored in a plastic box for the entire year. The gum tends to be in a crystallised form and once needed, the artist crushes the gum into a powder and mixes it with warm water.

4. This mixture is left in the sun for 8-10 days. This is done to bind the gum and the soot together. The artist stirs the mixture every day until one could see their own reflection in the paint.

Making andnaturalofcolourspigments

Black colour

3. The artist mixes the soot and the gum powder in a 1:2 ratio (1 pinch of soot with 2 pinches of gum). Hot water is then added to this mixture depending on the desired consistency.

from burnt material). This soot is collected from the kerosene lamps called “buddi”. In the past, these lamps were kept in every household and the soot would naturally deposit around the 2.lamps.Once

Traditionally, vegetable dyes were used for colouring the figures. As the puppets were shown through oil lamps, the use of deep colours like red, green, black was preferred. These colours were made from locally sourced materials either from the local market, produce grown on farms or from the jungles of Nimmalakunta. A few artists in the village continue to make their own natural colours, namely, black and red.

5. After the paint is formed, it is stored in a wooden box called “Chakkaginni”. This box has a specific shape so that the paint doesn’t spill or splatter while painting.

1. Red colour or “laal” was made using tomato, chillies and beetroots. These vegetables are grown in the farms of Nimmalakunta.

5. Neem gum is added to the mixture in the same ratio of 1:2.

Similarly, yellow was made from turmeric and fruits. Green was made using dried Neem leaves. All the raw materials used by the artists were organic, non-toxic and sustainable for the environment as they were locally available and sourced. However, this practice of making natural paint requires patience, skill and great amount of time. There is no doubt that it is highly laborious and needs the experience of a senior artist. When asked why artists have started deviating from using natural paints, the artist told us that he would rather spend 20 days on making 2-3 products which are going to feed his family than sit and make the paint. He added by saying that although artificial colours are not long lasting, an artist will face a huge loss if he waits 10 days for his paints to form in the sunlight.

Black pigment stored in wooden box

Natural red pigment

6. To alter the consistency of the paint and prevent it from drying, warm water is added to the paint when it is in use.

7. Warm water is added to the paint whenever the artist wishes to alter its consistency.

6. The mixture is stirred by the artist every day until it becomes into a homogenous paint. It is stirred using a bamboo stick.

Red colour

4. Once the colour has adequately drained into the water, it is taken off the heat. The mixture is then exposed to sunlight for 8-10 days.

3. These red flowers, once procured, are boiled in hot water.

2. Red pigment was also made using the red flowers from a tree called “Moduga” or “Tummachettu” tree. This tree is found in the midst of the Nimmalakunta Jungle. The flowers only bloom once a year in the summer, in the month of April.

Chemical inks

Artists of Tholu Bommalata predominantly use artificial powdered colours (such as Camlin,etc.) as well as pattu saree pigments. These artificial colours fade after 4-5 years. Few artists prefer

Alternative materials

Puppets are made out of sheep skin as well; however, it is very expensive. Thus, artists opt for goat skin itself. Artists use both machine made as well as naturally processed leather. However, we met an artist in Nimmalakunta who used canvas to portray his art. According to him, few people were not comfortable with keeping leather in their house. Thus, he decided to reach out to a larger audience by painting on canvas and cloth.

Similar to many of the crafts around India, chemical colours are replacing natural ones.

powdered paints because of their consistency while as few believe that the pattu saree pigments are brighter. The colour of pattu saree is available in a stone or enamel form called “lekh”. It is later crushed into a powder and used along with water. These paints are toxic and do not hold colour for very, however, they are convenient and time-saving for the artists. These colours are also economical and easily available in the markets of Dharmavaram, especially where the sarees are dyed.

finishingdetailingandprocess

MAintenancestoragedisposal

commerical

traditonal puppet making products

Traditional Puppet Making

The Rekhini made from a really old (minimum 50 year old) bamboo tree, tends to much stronger and of better quality. In order to form the paint stick, the bamboo should be really dry. The artist shaves the tip of the bamboo stick in process

Hacksaw

which was used to clean the hide called “Soora katthi or Chaak”. This is done to make the surface smoother and get rid of any excessive depressions or air stuck to the leather.

The traditional puppet making slightly differs from the commercially sold products which are marketed today. The process distinctively differentiates the making of each product.

1. The main raw material that is used for making leather puppets is the skin of goats. Traditional puppets are only made in naturally processed leather. After the leather is dried out, the artist starts by scraping the leather with the same knife

The process of this art is done traditionally using naturally available material, natural dye colours as well as local iron frames. This professional art is made by the artists who use traditional tools with skilled workmanship. They portray their esteemed creative intelligence by designing the pictures and stories on the leather and then dying it with beautiful colours. Cutting and decoration of the puppets require great skill and technical preparation. The carving, holing and crafting as well as designing on leather adds to the aesthetic of the puppets and brings them out to be the art it is today. We have tried our best to document this artistic process through observation and information gathered from the artists in Nimmalakunta.

Artisan making the rekhini

3.After the needle work is complete, the artist scrapes the leather again. This allows the needle marks to be clearly visible on the leather. The artist also gets rid of dust particles and debris formed from previously scraping the leather. This leads to better application of colours and

2. The artist then marks the puppet and draws on the details using a needle called “Sudi”. This is an alternative to using any other stationary items as it can be easily altered without leaving

4.In order to start drawing, the artist heats the tip of a bamboo stick called “Rekhini” or “Yeduru gunga”. This allows the artist to draw with precision and produce even lines.

5.The artist starts outlining the design with black colour using the “Rekhini”.i

Cheernum Sudi

Rekhini

Head of the punch

Hammer head

SudiRekhiniAwl CheernumBrush

Artisan sketching on the leather

The traditionally the puppets were painted with natural hues, nowadays premixed industrial paints are generally used for the sake of practicality and to speed up the process. According to an artist, Pattu saree colour is better suited for naturally processed

8. After the holes are made, the artist usually starts by painting with the colour red. This allows for him/her to visually balance the figure.

9. The artist continues by adding colours in the puppet with a brush. They start with darker colours and then progress to lighter shades of pigments. They also have a peculiar the Bangalore Design Centre, which is under the DCH.

method of achieving a particular texture; they start by painting around the outline. As they fill the shape, he/she dilutes the paint with water.

Artisan making holes in the leather

central support which runs down to the spine and both arms are manoeuvred with sticks. The head is generally supported by a separated stick that allows rapid movements and twists. More sticks support the palms, while the legs are free and often in just one piece. iii

Artisan heating the tip of rekhini

11. The coloured leather is then cut according to its outline with a scissor. If the artist makes a mistake by cutting some of the black outline, he or she uses black paint to rectify the outline. 12. Small holes are made where ever the parts are to be attached. These parts are ten secured together with cotton (red) string called “daarmu” to facilitate easy movement and required dramatic effect. The joints are at the shoulder, elbow, hips and neck (or a braid for female puppets).

iii The puppets that represent divinities or demons such as Ravana, may have (according to classical iconography) mul tiple arms—in case of which the upper arms are attached to two or more lower arms with hands; and only one hand is ma noeuvred with a stick, while the other arms and hands make movements with quick twists and strokes of the main limb.

13. In order to be ready for the stage, puppets are assembled with threads and cane, or bamboo sticks are added to allow manoeuvring. Depending on the size of the puppet and the articulation of the limbs, one or more sticks can be used. A split bamboo is then used for main

Artisan fixing bamboo sticks on puppet

4. The outline is blackrekhinionpaintedusingthewithcolour. iv

is then left to dry.

Lampshade

Frames for lampshade being made

stark white.

Lampshades

Maintenance

In order to distinguish the commercial production from the traditional process, we have chosen the product lampshades.

iv An artist informed us that artificial paints (Camlin) are better suited for machine made leather.

Besides puppet manufacturing, the puppeteers are also in charge of their maintenance. Leather objects need oil treatments for correct preservation. The figures are periodically treated by rubbing coconut oil on them with a piece of cloth; usually this maintenance routine is done before summer (Nagabushana Sarma). Puppets are a treasure to the puppeteers and they are handed down from father to son. Crossing

8. Once the finishing is complete, a holder and a light bulb are added to the inner part of the lampshade. This completes the product.

5. Once the outline complete,is 7.intexturestechniquethelampaddedcolours6.needleusingperforationsmarkedlampshadetheiswiththe(Sudi).Furtheraretotheusingsameandusedpuppets.Theproduct

3. Patterns are made on the lampshade using repetitive forms. This is drawn using a pencil or piece of charcoal (the latter being the old traditional technique) as needle work is not visible on machine processed leather as it is

The artists firstly procure the metal framework for the lampshade. This framework with welded using 9 gauge galvanized iron (G.I.) wire. The prices vary from Rs. 50, Rs. 75 and Rs. 150 depending on its height.

Commercial Products

1 After the welding of the framework, the artist mounts the frame with machine processed 2.leather.Theedges and seams of the lampshade are stitched using a leather thread and stuck with the glue.

generations, they are sometimes damaged and need repair and restoration. Limbs can be replaced, broken parts stitched in places, and patches can be obtained by reused or discarded fragments. It is thanks to these restoration techniques that the life of these puppets is prolonged over the years.

In addition to newer methods, few artists apply varnish to prevent the colour from fading and to make sure the leather does not curl. However, we do not know if it is a viable solution to the problem of leather curling.

Disposal

After years of use, puppets retire from performing with a ritual similar to a funeral— old puppets are immersed in the waters of a river, as the cremated bodies are left to the waters of the Ganges.

are the main assets for livelihood, the artists take good care by storing them properly. The puppet storage box is the most treasured and revered possession of the troupe. The Lampshades are stored vertically in metal trunks, the larger ones are stored individually while as the smaller ones are stacked on top of each other. The large paintings are rolled and covered using a newspaper.

Unpainted lampshades

Artisan fixing the leather on the frame

The puppets are traditionally stored in an elongated bamboo box called “Ganiyam”. The box is covered with unused leather. Each Ganiyam normally holds 100 puppets. Today, most of the regular performers as well as those who have a good market for their puppets and other leather craft items, store it in a big metal trunk and suitcases. Some of the big puppets are rolled up and stored while as the small puppets are stored in a particular way. First, the legs are bent towards the torso, and then the arms are bent inward along with the head. The small puppets are stacked on top of each over and stored in a plastic bag. As the puppets

Storage

This spring cleaning process involves soaking the skin in pits of lime water for a period of 1015 However,days. we have observed that a pile of leather oforwastegroundtheirassumablyThisNimmalakunta.amountedwasnearsmallpondinisdumpingformaterialwastepiecesleather.

women, men and children

Working

artist’s life facilities Hierarchy conditions of

working

Socio - cultural awareness and lifestyle Status

Government

Nimmalakunta and Dharmavaram are both sites for the craft of leather puppetry. When we met the artists of Nimmalakunta, they were gracious enough to bestow their knowledge and intellect on the subject of Tholu Bommalata. We interviewed a few of these artists and tried to get an insight into their lives and their wisdom of the craft.

Artist Profiles

Dalavai Chalapathi Rao (83 years old)

invited to exhibitions abroad where he demonstrates the making of the puppet and performs shows in America, Germany and France. He has also done shows and exhibitions in major cities like Delhi, Bombay etc.

Excellence in Leather Puppet making in 1988. He has also received many other awards in various forums and public functions.

Mr. Rao is a maestro in leather puppet performances and narration of acts for the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The most popular acts done by him along with his troupe of 8 artist are: Adaptation of 6 khandas (scenes) from Ranganatha Ramayana- Sundarakanda , Lanka Dahanam, Sugriva Pattabhishekham , Sati Sulochana, Yudha kandam (Kumbhakarna & HeRavana).hasbeen

Award winning painting

Shri Dalavai Chalapathi Rao was born into a family of traditional leather puppet-makers and puppeteers in Nimmalakunta, Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. He was initiated into the art of leather puppetry at the age of 13, by his father the late Shri Khande Rao. For the last 70 years, he has been making leather puppets and other artifacts for

AwardofisChalapathiShri1976-1977.inIndustrialtheorganizedthecrafttrainingaalsoetc.exhibitions,shows,HehasundergoneformalinthisunderprogrambyDistrictCentreAnantapurinDalavaiRaotherecipienttheNationalfor

Shree Shinde Anjaneyulu (60 years old)

Replica of award winning painting

Shri Shinde Anjeneyulu is a master of performance and narrations. His troupe consists of about 8 members who are all related. They mostly perform on religious epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Mr. Anjaneyulu has travelled all over the world for puppet making as well as performing puppet shows. These company sponsored events usually cost between Rs. 60,000 – 75,000 for the show alone, excluding travel expenses.

Shri Shinde Anjeneyulu was also born into a family of traditional puppet makers. The art was taught to him by his father about 40 years back. Unlike the other puppeteers, he has not undergone any formal training in the art. His family comprises of his wife, two daughters and two sons who are all well trained in the art and help out in different stages of making. He lives in Dharmavaram with his family and commutes to Nimmalakunta every day.

He is currently building a community centre in Nimmalakunta for training the younger generations in the art. He is passionate about passing on the torch of this traditional craft to his grandchildren and other younger kids of the community. He is also part of the government funded training program for leather puppetry.

Shri Shinde Anjeneyulu is the recipient of the National Award for Excellence in Leather Puppet making for his “Karna Arjun yudham” painting in 2014. He has also received several other awards from different organizations. Mr. Shinde has been invited to exhibitions and shows around the world like in London, Paris, Germany, Amsterdam , Spain etc. He has also been to exhibitions in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Guhati, Delhi, Bombay,

Jhansi, Agra, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Allahabad and Baroda through the DCH.

Shri Sreenivasulu receiving his National Award

in its line work and predominantly consisted of a black, red and white colour scheme. He received the Andhra Pradesh State Award in 2011. He has also been invited to several exhibitions in Bombay, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi, Coimbatore, Pondicherry, Pune, etc. He has been invited to events abroad for example, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, etc.

Khande Sreenivasulu (45 years old)

He said that he no longer performs puppet shows; instead he spends his time preparing for products for each exhibition. He told us that he visits at least 4-5 exhibitions in a year and carries product worth Rs. 3 to 5 lakhs.

Shri Khande Sreenivasulu was introduced to the art of leather puppetry at a young age by his father, Shri Khande Kullayappa. His late father was a ‘Shilp guru’ awardee and believed in spreading the name of Tholu Bommalata. Mr. Khande’s family consists of his wife, two sons and a daughter. His daughter helps him paint the products in his workshop. His entire family is involved in the craft and work alongside him for his exhibitions and endeavors abroad.

Shri Khande Sreenivasulu is a recipient of the National Award for Excellence in Leather Puppet making for his Kurukshetra painting on a 5 feet lampshade. The lampshade was ighly detailed

Shinde Chandrashekhar (36 years olD)

HeDCH.also

takes part in the puppet show alongside his father and brothers. He, along with his brothers, is in charge of the puppets backstage and the puppet handling throughout the show.

Shri Shinde Chandrashekhar has been practicing his art of leather puppetry ever since his childhood. He has studied the art form through his father Shri Shinde Anjenellu. His family consists of his wife, a 12 year old son and a 10 year old daughter. His wife actively takes part in the family tradition by singing the narrative of female characters during performances and the his children are given training under his father. Shri Shinde Chandrashekhar is a recipient of the National Award for Excellence in Leather Puppet making for his ‘Kurukshetra’ painting in 2008. He was one of the first in the family to win this prestigious award. Mr. Shinde actively tries to develop new designs; different to the traditional aesthetic of Tholu Bommalata. He has also been invited to several exhibitions in Bombay, Kolkata, Delhi, Guhat, Bengaluru etc through

Annant amma was born into a family of traditional puppet makers, hence, she began practicing the art of leather puppetry at 20 years old. Being one amongst the few female puppeteers in the town she also sings during the puppet shows.

Apart from making puppets, she also does farming. The artifacts she makes mostly includes wall clocks, lamp shades, door hangings and small puppets of Ram, Seeta etc. for commercial purposes. She is the mother of National awardee, Shri Tirupal. She mostly spends her time working in her son’s studio and contributes by painting and filling in the colors.

She is also distinctively known for chewing tobacco whilst listening to music andonpaintingleather.

Annant amma (60 years old)

His son, Khande Sreenath (24 years old), is also part of the same profession and won the Kamladevi award in 2014.

Khande Ramdas (47 years old)

Khande Ramdas was born into a family in Dharmavaram who practiced Leather puppetry. He was introduced to the art by his father when he was 12 years old. His family comprises of his wife and his son.

In 2001, Khande Ramdas won the State Award for Excellence in Leather Puppet making. He has also been invited for exhibitions in Australia, South Africa (Ghana), Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi etc. He informed us that most of the invitations come through the government and a letter is sent to them from the regional office regarding the exhibition.

Accordingsongs.

Working Hierarchy and Gender based Analysis

The female members of the family have a role during performance, which is found only in the Andhra tradition. The female members; normally the wife or sister of the group leader, takes the centre stage in manipulation along with narration and singing. The involvement of women therefore, becomes complementary. Women are also involved in the performance as an accompanist by giving voices to some of the female puppet characters like Seetha and Lankini indicates that young females while playing the cymbals provide the chorus for the

In the past, the head of the family was also the head of the troupe and his title was ‘bhagavatar’ or ‘sutradhar’. The bhagavatar was always a male figure. He was not only in charge of the performance, but also made household decisions. The females were not particularly involved in the puppet making process. They were more so involved in the performance. They would contribute by completing household chores. Today, the females play a critical role in the puppet making process.

The females predominantly continue to do household work; however, they are involved in the painting of the puppets as well as stitching and detailing of products such as wall hangings, door hangings, etc. From our observation, we did not see many women of the village actually drawing and designing artwork on leather, such as black line work. Instead, we inferred most of the women were involved in the painting and coloring of the leather products. An artisan informed us that none of the women play any instruments during the performance and that it is majorly handled by men of the community. In Nimmalakunta, both male and female children, attend school as well as secondary schooling and college. They attend primary leather puppetry training and take equal part in drawing and colouring.

to Sarma (1985), girls are taught to manipulate and sing at an early age between the sixth and tenth year. The girl child is given a major puppet to handle only after 12 years of age. Meanwhile, they take up lesser roles like learning poems, songs and prose till they attain maturity. The parents correct the children, both

boys and girls during the performance. Thus, the woman learns the art form during her childhood under the guidance of her parents. Some of the female members are also good singers and narrators as Chandrasekar (1961) writes, that the lady members of the troupe seem to be better educated than men.

places in India, women are denied the opportunity to practice the craft, as they would be married off to other families. Unlike the norm, this craft involves women and girls in major steps in the process, like punching and painting. This helps them finish products quickly as there is division of labor, without having to source labor externally.

11. There is a rising demand for handicraft products in countries such as USA, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, etc.

9. Due to lack of promotion, buyers are very few in number. Their business is limited to a few exhibitions and private patrons only.

12. Development in domestic tourism sector could help in promotion of the craft.

8. They have to rely on government initiatives for the marketing and sale of their products, a process during which they inevitably lose a large margin of their profits.

1. Tholu bommalata and leather artifacts lack significant competition, making the craft unique to its area. Although Dharmavaram is also known for its silk sarees, this business poses no threat to the leather puppetry and artifacts.

6. Local artisans are unaware about the domestic, national and international market trends and their requirements.

10. They tend to work in their comfort zone, denying themselves an opportunity to tap into a pool of customers who prefer contemporary products as opposed to traditional puppets.

2. The artists are slowly opening up to new product ideas and expanding their product range. This is expected to widen their range of

advancement of e-commerce and internet the products can be sold without any middle men directly to the buyer.

17.profession.Constant

13. More shows could be arranged in schools and colleges to increase awareness for the craft.

15.development.Duetothe

16. As other jobs could offer higher and much more stable income artists tend to change their

act as a good platform for private 4.buyers.This craft only requires a very low capital 5.investment.Inseveral

7. They lack adequate exposure to technology.

14. Artists can be more open to exploring different product concepts. They could collaborate with design houses and colleges to fully explore the extents of product

upheaval of internet and television has led to decreased interest towards arts like theatre and puppet shows.

Study of micro & macro environment

3.customers.Exhibitions

The Product range for leather puppetry products is vast in comparison with other crafts. 1.The artists usually make Leather Puppetry (object) in the shape of a human figure (organic). These puppets are usually made based on a character. Commercially sold puppets are usually sold in two sizes – small and medium.

150 types of items are made in the village of Nimmalakunta as household activity and marketed locally and outside markets. Importance is being given for Indian epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha in preparation of models and puppets as well as modern designs as a back ground theme. Artists also design products for tourists who visit regularly to nearby pilgrim sites.

2.They o rganize and perform puppet show events around the world.

Price

3. Other products include Lamps, Paintings, Hangings (Door& Wall), Door frames, canvases, wall clocks, chandeliers, pendant lights and jewellery products.

Marketing Mix

For a very long time before the cinema came into being; before televisions, computers and other media platforms made their mark, people had very few means of entertainment. These included recitals, readings of popular books or articles, dramas and plays, puppetry and rural song and dance. Tholu bommalata was also one such form of entertainment. It not only displayed excellent craftmanship, but also displayed the artisans’ skilful recitation of the verses, and a brilliant handling of the musical and percussion instruments to support the play as it unfolded from behind the screen.

The leather products are priced at affordable prices and are available to all categories of costumers. The prices also vary through the product range where they fluctuate for different colours, sizes and forms. The prices also vary depending on the intricacy and complexity of the design. Alongside the normal products come a customized range of products which are of a higher price. If a product is commissioned, it costs a lot more due to the reason that it is time consuming. The cost is also heavily dependent

Nearlyshows.

According to our research, the Indian market predominantly prefers commercial products such as lampshades and wall hangings which is why the artists tend to take most of them to an Indian exhibition. However, internationally, the people prefer the artists to give them authentic traditional puppets or paintings which represent a story.

Product Range

For the viewers, it was an occasional escape from their day-to-day lives, a way to learn more from epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, it also held a sentimental value, for they believed that it would bring rain and luck. For the artisans, it was not just a source of incomeit was their livelihood, a skill that they devoted their whole lives to. The onset of electronic media caused a steep descent in the number of viewers, and subsequently, the livelihoods of these artisans took a hit. While a few of them still chose to pursue this craft or to take up something entirely different like agriculture, others chose to extend the scope of the craft by incorporating it into modern designs, which had more demand than the traditional puppet

2. Lampshade prices vary with size due to the amount of leather used – Small costs Rs. 200, Medium lampshade costs between Rs. 400 –500, the large one (25 inches) ranged from Rs. 2000 – 3000. (Machine processed leather)

Physical Evidence:

3. The paintings vary according to their sizes. A small painting made from a smaller hide costs Rs. 2000 – 3000. A large painting formed with a large single piece of hide costs between Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 2, 00,000. The higher end paintings usually take 2 – 6 months to make and are commercially sponsored.

on the materials used, if it is naturally processed leather, the cost drives up. These costs sometimes also include transport, stay, stall rent and food of the artists (especially during an exhibition), thus it is set with a higher mark-up.

Promotion

Leather Puppetry being a famous craft isn’t promoted using any commercial means. It is well imbibed in the culture and adopted by the people. Emporiums like Lepakshi emporium give recognition to the products. It is also marketed by the DCH and Andhra Pradesh State offices which lead them to international events as well as the exhibitions around India.

4. Wall hangings are priced at Rs. 100 – 300.

People

1. Small puppets cost Rs. 150. Medium sized puppets were approximately Rs. 250 – 400.

5. Jewellery pieces such as earrings cost Rs. 60 – 100 depending on size and intricacies while as a necklace piece (pendant) costs Rs. 100 – 200. These pieces are sold to urban jewellery brands at a very low price through the middle man.

The people working and associated with the craft are usually the family members and all of the work is usually divide amongst the members from scratch to the final product. These artists are residents of Nimmalakunta or Dharmavaram. Tholu Bommalata is considered their family business which is inter –generational and pertains to the heritage of the place.

The aura and surroundings of the place gave a sense of simplicity and relaxation to the students. The aesthetic way in which the surroundings were kept in every household visited gave an insight into deep value the craftsmen associate with their craft.

1. According to secondary research, ’Tholu Bommalata has lost lustre with only a handful of families fighting against odds to nurture the art-form practised by their ancestors for centuries, in the wake of the western cultural

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3. In the past, Condition of the troupes started to deteriorate from the 1950s onwards, and they faced financial troubles. Already in the 1980s, scholars reported that troupes had to assume side jobs in order to make a living, since puppetry alone was not enough to sustain the family. This problem is still felt— as recently as 2016, the Deccan Chronicle dedicated a paper to the topic mentioning troupes in Andhra Pradesh engaged in agricultural work. In the past tholu bommalata shows were financed through a system of patronage; some troupes were linked to temples, while others were sustained by wealthy villagers. In today’s times, corporate offices and international buyers or sellers sponsor certain products or shows. However, artists continue to depend on agriculture and cattle as a means of earning income.

decorative. Artists have modified certain commercial products for the market by using monochrome colour scheme, changing the conventional shapes of colours, getting inspired from different arts, etc. Mediums of the art have also evolved with time, for example, we noticed a lot of artists using a pen instead of a rekhini. With regards to materials, an artist used canvases to portray his craft. Thus, artists continue to tap into their artistic instincts and creativity to actively develop newer products.

current Status of the craft

4. Designs used today are contemporary as well as traditional in its origin yet, modified for utility. However, the craft is still heavily

2.onslaught’.However, one of the masters informed us that the leather puppetry art has changed course as there are more and more people getting involved in making products. The art is spread through marriage, surrounding villages as well as the government’s efforts in training people under this craft.

6. According to Shri Anjaneyulu, communication via applications such as whatsapp has drastically changed the orders and influx of customers. He can continue to work while sending progress photos of the ordered product. He can also easily document the process of making this order. The artists are thus, keen to take in orders and can create and alter the painting according to a client’s whims and fancies. This has enabled and opened a large market overseas. According to him, he used to rarely get orders unless the clients specifically called. Presently, he receives at least

5. Artists are updated with ecological and environmental issues for example, we spoke to Mr. S. Anjaneyulu about his investment in a piece of land in Nimmalakunta despite living in Dharmavaram. According o him, village life is better suited for people who want to be one with nature and do not wish to hurt the environment. He says that Nimmalakunta continues to be free of pollution as the artists keep in mind the effect they are having on the environment, which they consider god.

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8.future.Although

KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) is statutory body formed by the Government of India under the KVIC Act of 1956 that aims to nurse employment and economic uplift in rural India. Through this

Both the National and the State government have taken steps towards the well-being of the artists and the encouragement of the craft.

They can also study during free time, as the exhibition is not held every day. They can take orders and execute the same from home. Despite some families still actively performing, Indian shadow puppetry is an endangered art.

There has been a remarkable improvement in leather craft making skills of these puppeteers with the involvement of Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This organization has conducted training workshops to improve the leather craft technology.

4 -5 custom orders a month.

7.Due to their educational status, the younger generation aspires to take uppermanent jobs in various places with the result, performance is given less importance. Slowly, the youngsters may join the mainstream society leaving their ancestral profession.

Mr. S. Anjaneyulu has started a community artist centre in the heart of Nimmalakunta. He believes it is important for them to learn about the traditions and customs of Tholu Bommalata and carry it forward in the future. This is imperative for the survival and longevity of the art whilest preventing it from being an endangered art. According to him, the younger generations are not interested in learning Telugu or Marathi. They do not wish to learn epics like the Mahabharata or Ramayana. This community centre is a form of hope that the art shall survive and continue to thrive in the

The office of Deputy Commisioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India , helps the artists from the cluster to showcase the art of leather puppetry across India. The artisans are provided with technical knowledge regarding the making of these products. As observed in Nimmalakunta many artists have taken formal training under the DC (Handicrafts) which gives them a more updated version of the craft. All the invitations to exhibitions across India and Abroad are done through this organization. The ‘Co-operative apprenticeship training in leather craft centre’ sanctioned by the DCH at Nimmalakanta, Anantapur district, imparts training on leather craft under the guidance of senior puppeteers. This centre was started 20 years ago and since then has trained many puppeteers.

the demand for the craft of leather puppetry and making leather products is progressively increasing, the art of performing leather puppetry shows has taken a blow. The costing and manpower needed for these shows is a major contributing factor. It is inconvenient for artists to carry musical instruments and large puppets with them to any place; however, they have done so internationally for places such as Germany, Malaysia, etc. There is a surge for demand in commercial products rather than traditional puppet shows. Unfortunately, the Indian market does not particularly set itself as an audience for these shows, which has reduced the amount of shows performed by these troupes. The younger generation prefers craft activities to Tholu bornmalata for various reasons. The puppet shows requires more number of persons, whereas the exhibition of craft, can be organized by one person for certain days. It is not strenuous like the performance.

Government policies and Organisations

made of leather

PTI.Necklace

“The government has fantastic provisions as well as revenues for the art form through Ministry of Culture’s Sangeet Natak Akademi. They fund it on different levels like that of production, training, building spaces, and research. “But the lack of coordination in dispensation of these funds has led to several problems. The government needs to be more aware of what are the needs of puppeteers on ground,” Roy, who founded the Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust, told

Tholu Bommala Parivarla Samkshema Sangham is one among the organizations that most of the artists in Nimmalakunnta are a part of. Through this organization the artists get to know different subsidies and loans available to them. This organization also updates the artists regarding different government policies. It is much easier for them to apply for a loan through these Academiesorganizations.such

as Sangeet Natak Akademi , NID etc also invite these artists for workshops hence spreading awareness and encouraging the involvement of youth into this art.

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organization, artists can apply for a loan up to Rs.6,00,000 or can apply for a subsidy of KanakaRs.1,50,000.Durga

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Our experience and Insights

with gaping mouths. The commercial products which we had seen were almost superficial in front of the core art itself. The artists thrived backstage whilst singing and narrating sto ries. They were proud once the performance was over and they carried out their respective puppets in front of the audience. Whilst we were leaving, the artists asked us if we were to come back again. They offered to make us the same meals again once we arrive next year. This established a strange bond between the artists and our group, that similar to a teacher and a Fewstudent.interesting facts:

For the four days we came across familiar faces of artists and their families. These artists would let us into their craft and gave us insight into different methods (no matter how many times we asked the same concepts to be repeated and clarified). They dealt with us through patience and a grace of working.

2.puppy.After

thorough research, we have concluded that everyone is related to everyone in Nimmal akunta in one way or another. This put us in a strange place while figuring out the family trees.

4. Boiled peanuts are in abundance here.

This trip has immensely affected our per spective on Indian handicrafts and the people responsible for making them. We were partic ularly surprised by their welcoming nature and embracing warmth when we first stepped foot into Nimmalakunta. Not only were they helpful in terms of their knowledge regarding the craft, but were also extremely nurturing and kind. Every step of the way, in every artist’s house, we were offered food (mostly boiled peanuts to snack; or an entire plate full of lunch) and tea or coffee. We first hand experienced the impor tance of being involved in the cluster rather than being an outsider or a third party observer. The impact of eating with them, painting with them and essentially getting our hands dirty, made the artists feel comfortable and natural within their space which was imperative to our research.

At the end of the trip, we were fortunate enough to see the puppet show. We all mar velled at the puppets coming alive as we had seen nothing like it before. Although we had documented the entire process, it was bleak in front of the animated characters and folk songs which were sung throughout the performance. We laughed along to the master slightly altering the show and using the jester puppets to mock us. We interacted with many of the kids and children who not only guided us through the names of each character, but also let us in on gossips like who was the prettiest in our class. By the end of the performance, we were all left

Our Experience

5. Each house is marked by a rangoli and those who are involved in puppet making usually keep their doors open.

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1. Nimmalakunta has an abnormally high popu lation of dogs. Everywhere we looked; we were stared down by either a dog or barked at by a

3. The turkeys in Nimmalakunta tend to follow people around for no reason. It is quite scary due to its size.

Largely, the emphasis of the “puppetry” is no longer on puppets but on the commercially via ble products. This is unfortunate as none of the products connect to any story or ancient tale. Each puppet, each character, has a story of its own which not only has traditional and histori cal importance, but also has cultural significance due to its multi generational nature. One of the most pressing issues in Nimmal akunta remains the fact that only a few are knowledgeable to perform the different Hindu Epics. This puts the art of performance at risk of being endangered. However, effective market ing strategies need to be worked upon from the ground up in order to spread awareness and generate an audience in the Indian market with regards to the puppet show. As of now, the artists heavily depend on international organisa tions for sponsoring of puppet shows. In order to take this tradition and make it a entertain ment phenomenon, the Indian market needs to be actively involved.

Conclusion

The making of leather puppets was unlike any other craft we have seen before. There was a marvellous attention to detail and intricacies. This craft is not such which needs physical la bor, instead it needs an eye for the principles of design and a hand to implement the elements. Unlike most of the secondary research, the artists were happy in their domain of puppet making and did not face any urgent problems or issues which needed to be addressed. They would, however, want guidance from the government with regards to the marketing and branding of products as well as facilities to en sure the performance of the Tholu Bommalata.

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Aalusabji : Potato

Annam : Rice

KambaRamayan :Tamil epic that was written by

Manalli : Circular punch Mansamp : Raw skin of goat Masi: Black dust from the burnt material of kerosene

Paddacheernum : Rectangular metal punch Pappu/Byaalu : Dal or lentils

Chakkaginni: Wooden box in which black paint is Cheernumstored. : Metal punch

H Haldi : Yellow J

L Laal : Red M

S Soorakatthi/ Chaak : Knife used during leather SurvarnaSudiprocessing.:Needle:Golden

Vernacular Glossary

the Tamil poet Kambar during the 12th century. Kanda : parts of the Ramayana

Bahulyachamdyacha :Traditional shadow theatre from Maharashtra. In Marathi ‘bahulya’ means figure and ‘chamdyacha’ refers to leather or made of Bhagavatar/sutradharleather. :The head of the family / the head of the troupe. Bhagavathi : Goddess Kali Buddi :Kerosene lamp

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R Raani : RabanaChhayaPink : Shadow puppetry fromOdisha which means Ravana’s story. Rekhini / Yedurugunga : Bamboo stick

Daarmu : Cotton string Dastalu : Clothes G Gajjelu /Gulusu : Anklet

Chilkapaccha : Light green Chintapudi : Peanut and chilli powder Chuna : Calcium carbonate

Nang SbekThom : The shadow play of Cambo dia. The term refers to coloured leather hide. Nang yai : The shadow play of Thailand which means large puppets. Narang : Orange Neela : Blue Noorai : Shining stone used to sharpen knife.

Jalmandalika : The screen used during puppet shows.

ModugaMeeru:Chillieslamp./TummachettuTree : Tree from which red pigment was made by extracting its flowers.

N Nakshatra : Diamond punch

Ganiyam : Bamboo box made for storing pup pets traditionally.

Wayang : The traditional theatre of Malaysia and Indonesia. The term ‘wayang’ is said to come from ‘bayang’ (shadow).

T Telepu : TholuBommalataWhite

V Vadal : Onion pakoda/bhajji Verusenaga : Peanut chutney

TogaluGombeyata : Traditional shadow pup petry of Karnataka. ‘Togcihi’ refers to leather, ‘Gombe’ means toy and ‘atta’ denotes play.

Sutti : Hammer

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Tolpavaikoothu : Shadow puppet theatre of Tamil Nadu.Tol’ refers to leather; ‘pavai’ de notes doll and ‘koothu’ means play.

Tolpavakoothu : Shadow puppet theatre of Ker ala. ”. ‘Tol’ refers to leather, ‘Pava’ means dolls and ‘koothu’ denotes play.

: Shadow puppetry of Andhra Pradesh. The word literally means dance of leather puppets where ‘tholu’ means leather and ‘bommalata’ means puppet dance.

Chapter 2

Explore Rural India. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.itrhd.com/magazine/ERIM-Vol-5-2017.pdf State Tradition of Shadow Puppetry. (2015). Retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bit gu-shadow-puppet-theatreTholustream/10603/43246/11/11_chapter%204.pdfBommalata.(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttps://www.sahapedia.org/tholu-bommalata-telu

State Tradition of Shadow Puppetry. (2015). Retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bit Dharmavaramstream/10603/43246/11/11_chapter%204.pdfMandal.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom http://www.onefivenine.com/india/villag/Anantapur/ NimmalakuntaDharmavaram Leather Puppetry Craft. (n.d.). Retrieved 2019, from http://www.nimmalakuntale Oregonatherpuppetrycraft.com/about.html#ShadowTheatre.(n.d.).Retrieved from http://www.oregonshadowtheatre.com/whatis. Shadowhtml and puppet theatre. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://disco.teak.fi/asia/shadow-and-pup Woldpet-theatre/Encyclopedia on Puppetry Arts. (n.d.). Retrieved 2019, from https://wepa.unima.org/en/cham dyacha-bahulya/

Chapter 7

State Tradition of Shadow Puppetry. (2015). Retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bit stream/10603/43246/11/11_chapter%204.pdf

Dharmavaram Mandal. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.onefivenine.com/india/villag/Anantapur/ Nimmalakunta.Dharmavaram (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.onefivenine.com/india/villages/Anantapur/Dhar mavaram/Nimmalakunta

Bibliography

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Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Census of Dhamavaram. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.census2011.co.in/census/ Statecity/425-dharmavaram.htmlTraditionofShadowPuppetry. (2015). Retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bit Traditionalstream/10603/43246/11/11_chapter%204.pdfDanceformsofAndraPradesh.(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bharatonline.com/ Touristandhra-pradesh/culture/dance.htmlPlacesarounfDharmavaram. (n.d.). Retrieved from andhra-pradesh/anantapur/tourist-places-to-visit-in-anantpurhttp://www.transindiatravels.com/

State Tradition of Shadow Puppetry. (2015). Retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bit stream/10603/43246/11/11_chapter%204.pdf

Preserving old traditions. (2008, September 9). Retrieved from style/art-and-culture/preserving-old-traditions-shadow-puppet-theatre-tholu-bommalata-5346671/https://indianexpress.com/article/life

Chapter 9

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Chapter 8

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Tholu Bommalata - Story of Nimmalakunta