Andhra Pradesh Leather Puppetry is an Exclusive GI of Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh Leather Puppetry, as the literature suggests, is one of the oldest forms of art and dates back to the 3rd century B.C. The art is regionally known as “Tholu Bommalata� in Telugu. The craft requires softening of leather and turning the leather as white as possible for the light to permeate. Once the desired texture is attained, a beautiful depiction of folklore such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishna Leela, etc is hand-painted over the leather with the help of vegetable dyes. “Nakashi� or the painting is done with a free hand, without any prior tracing. Thereafter, small holes are cut through the leather and the sheet is fixed over an iron frame to make lampshades. The holes allow a shadow effect which looks mesmerizing in dim lights. Andhra Pradesh Leather Puppetry is an Exclusive GI of Andhra Pradesh and was awarded a GI certification in 2008.

Disclaimer: Please note that skilled craftsmen finely handcraft all our products. Due to this process, there may be a slight variation from product to product. The actual product may slightly vary from the photograph shown and is subjected to minor manufacturing distinctions.