Chithambara Rao: Puppet Maestro
Artist, historian, storyteller. Meet the man in the shadows, the voice that embodies the spirit of Tholu Bommalaata
S Chidambara Rao
“If we lose our diversity, we lose our soul”
Sarmaya founder Paul Abraham talks about his love for Tholu Bommalaata and why we must protect this precious art form and the people and history it represents
Tholu Bommalaata – Dance of the Shadow Puppets
The Sarmaya team travelled to Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh to understand what it takes to carry on such an ancient legacy of art. Watch our short film from this journey here
Tholu Bommalaata: Dog-Lion Hybrid
This is a figure used in Tholu Bommalaata performances, Andhra’s shadow-puppetry tradition. The figure here is a hybrid with the head of a dog, complete with a leash around the neck, and the limbs and the lower body of a tiger or a lion. Except for the more recognisable forms, say of gods and goddesses,… Read more »
Issanama at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2018
We could not have asked for a more perfect location for this very special debut
Tholu Bommalata: Hanuman and Lankini
Tholu Bommalata tradition of shadow puppetry dates back to 12th century Andhra Pradesh; in Telugu, tholu is hide or leather and bommalata means ‘dance of the dolls’. Gleaming through the screen in night-long performances, these puppets are used to narrate stories from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Tholu Bommalata performances often weave bits of popular… Read more »