The craft of making Leather Puppets originated in the small village of Nimmmalakunta in Andhra Pradesh. Before the advent of television, Leather Puppetry was one of the major forms of entertainment not only to the rustic people but also to the people dwelling in towns and cities. The popularity of Leather Puppetry has partially dwindled but even now it is widely prevalent in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Locally, the Leather Puppetry shows are referred to as Tholu Bommalata. They are based on stories from the Indian epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata. In this case, holes are made on the Leather Puppets and a slim bamboo stick is attached to them so that they remain straight. Strings are attached to the various joints of the Leather Puppets to facilitate controlling their movements. The main raw material that is used for making Leather Puppets is the skin of goats and sheep. It is the responsibility of the Leather Puppet Society to supply the craftsmen with the leather that is required for making the Leather Puppets. The skin of the animals is subjected to an intensive process of cleaning. This spring cleaning process involves soaking the skin in pits of lime water for a period of 10-15 days. What follows is cleaning it with the help of a knife. It is possible to clean it using a knife because after being drenched for so many days, the surface becomes smooth. It is re-soaked in water for 10 days. However this time kadaka powder is added to the water. Kadaka Powder is a local vegetable dye. At the end of all this the hide finally becomes ready for decoration. Beautiful designs are then drawn on this light brown colored leather. The borders are drawn with the help of an outlining brush. Vegetable dyes were formally used as colors. However, now-a-days chemical dyes are also used because they are very easily available. The brightly colored Leather Puppets are indeed very beautiful to look at. The eyes of the Leather Puppets are always painted at last. You will surely be impressed by the large Leather Puppets of Ram, Hanuman and the demon king Ravana. Lamp shades and wall hangings are also made with the leather. They enhance the beauty of the drawing rooms. They are fairly priced and so do make sure you pick up a few of these as decorative items or as presents.
Andhra Pradesh Tour Packages
Cities of Andhra Pradesh
Things To Do in Andhra Pradesh
- Andhra Pradesh Tour Packages
- Andhra Pradesh Tourism
- Best Time to Visit Andhra Pradesh
- How to Reach Andhra Pradesh
- Adoni Tourism
- Amaravati Tourism
- Anantapur Tourism
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- Guntur Tourism
- Kurnool Tourism
- Lepakshi Tourism
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- Nagarjuna Sagar Tourism
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- Nellore Tourism
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- Arts and Crafts in Andhra Pradesh
- Bead Embroidery of Andhra Pradesh
- Bhama Kalapam Kuchipudi Dance
- Bidriware in Andhra Pradesh
- Bonalu in Andhra Pradesh
- Burrakatha in Andra Pradesh
- Butta Bommalu Dance
- Crafts of Andhra Pradesh
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- Dappu of Andhra Pradesh
- Dhimsa Folk Dance
- Etikoppaka Wooden Toys
- Kalamkari Work Andhra Pradesh
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- Kondapalli Toys Andhra Pradesh
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- Lambadi Dance Andhra Pradesh
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- Brahmotsavam Festival
- Deccan Festival, Hyderabad
- Lumbini Festival, Hyderabad
- Maha Shivratri Festival
- Makar Sankranti Festival
- Pongal Festival
- Tirupati Festival
- Ugadi Festival
- Tourist Attractions in Andhra Pradesh
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- Bheemunipatnam Beach
- Manginapudi Beach
- Mypad Beach
- Ramakrishna Beach
- Rishikonda Beach
- Vodarevu Beach
- Buddhist Destinations in Andhra Pradesh
- Caves of Andhra Pradesh
- Belum Caves
- Borra Caves, Kirinrandal
- Guthikonda Caves, Guthikonda
- Mogalarajapuram Caves, Vijayawada
- Undavalli Caves, Undavalli
- Yaganti Caves
- Hill Stations in Andhra Pradesh
- Araku Valley
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- Amravati Stupa in Amravati
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- Amaravati Museum
- District Archaeological Museum Nizamabad
- Nagarjunakonda Museum in Nagarjunakonda
- Victoria Jubilee Museum
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- Alampur Navabrahma Temples
- Amaravati Amareswara Temple
- Ghanpur Temples Ghanpur
- Hanumakonda Thousand Pillared Temple, Warrangal
- Kanakdurga Temple, Vijaywada
- Malleswaraswami Temple, Vijaywada
- Ramalingeswara Temple, Tadparti
- Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple
- Tiruchanur Padmavati Temple
- Tirupati Venkateswara Temple
- Undavalli Cave Temples
- Veerbhadra Temple
- Vijayeswara Swami Temple
- Wildlife in Andhra Pradesh
- Eturnagaram Sanctuary
- Wildlife Sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh
- Tourist Attractions in Amaravati
- Tourist Attractions in Chittoor
- Durgambika Temple in Chittoor
- Gurramkonda Fort in Chittoor
- Horsley Hills in Chittoor
- Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary in Chittoor
- Nagari Hills in Chittoor
- Pandava Theertham in Chittoor
- Sri Venkateswara Dhyana Vignan Mandiram
- Swami Pushkarini Lake in Chittoor
- Talakona Waterfall in Chittoor
- Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
- Varasiddi Vinayaka Swamy Temple in Chittoor
- Tourist Attractions in Puttaparthi
- Tourist attraction in Vijayawada
- Tourist Attractions in Visakhapatnam
- Trade Shows in Andhra Pradesh
- Arogya Nellore, Andhra Pradesh