Tholu bommalata is the shadow puppet theatre tradition of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Tholu means leather in Telugu and bommalu means dolls.

These puppets are painted with local made natural colours according to the nature of the roles. The colours are also prepared by the artists on their own. They design the curvatures and paint them. After that they are preserved very safely and securely for the use of anytime and anywhere. The artists have their own narrative explaining the origin of their art form, as is common in all oral traditions, and often trace their lineage back to a super-devotee mentioned in the scriptures.

Painted on both sides 

Rama 17 inches

Sita 15 inches

Hanuman and Ganesh 16 inches