Tolu Bommalata : Shadow Puppets of Andhra Pradesh
M. NAGABHUSHANA SARMA

Tolu Bommalata, the shadow puppet theatre of Andhra Pradesh, is one of earliest extant folk forms of the region. This monograph surveys the Andhra puppet tradition and includes brief sections on puppet-making and manipulation, the Bommalata stage, texts and music. The author also tells of the traditional puppeteers, describes the present state of the art, and
suggests ways and means for its preservation and promotion. The appendices include a list of puppeters’ groups, synopses of episodes from the Ramayana presented in Bommalata, as well as a table detailing the presentation of Sundarakanda on stage.

190 x 250 mm / 65 pages / 13 transparencies, 8 halftones
Published 1985 / Rs 60