tholu bommalata

puppet dance

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July 14, 2026

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Tholu bommalata is a traditional shadow puppet theatre from Andhra Pradesh, India. The name translates to "the dance of leather dolls".1

In this art form, puppets are crafted from translucent, colored leather. These puppets are then projected onto a small screen, creating a visual performance similar to color transparencies. Animals, birds, gods, and demons are common figures in these performances. The puppeteer manipulates the leather figures from behind the screen using two sticks. Strong lamps are used to alter the size, position, and angle of the puppets by adjusting their distance from the light source. These puppets are smaller and move more quickly than Indonesian wayang kulit puppets.1

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South Asian arts
Folk theatre
…Andhra Pradesh the puppets, called tholu bommalata (“the dance of leather dolls”), are fashioned of translucent, coloured leather. These are projected on a small screen, like colour photographic transparencies. Animals, birds, gods, and demons dominate the screen. The puppeteer manipulates them from behind with two sticks. Strong lamps are arranged…
Read More
…Andhra Pradesh the puppets, called tholu bommalata (“the dance of leather dolls”), are fashioned of translucent, coloured leather. These are projected on a small screen, like colour photographic transparencies. Animals, birds, gods, and demons dominate the screen. The puppeteer manipulates them from behind with two sticks. Strong lamps are arranged…
Read More