Tamilnadu
There are two forms of traditional puppetry exist in Tamil Nadu. These are Bommalatam (string puppetry) and Thol Bommalattam (shadow puppetry).
The string puppets are the largest and the heaviest of all traditional Indian string puppets. The size may be around 4 – 4 ½ ft. in height and many weigh around 8-10 kg. The joints at the shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and wrists give good movement during the puppet manipulation. String puppet plays are based on episodes from epics and puranic literature. There are only 2-3 families practicing this art form in Tamil Nadu.
The shadow puppets in Tamil Nadu are much smaller than the Andhra ones. The puppets are made of goat skin without any perforations. Similar to Andhra Puppets, stories from Ramayana and Mahabaratha are enacted. There are very few families now performing shadow puppet shows in villages. This poor situation is due to decline in the popularity of puppetry and development of cinema and other modern entertainment in villages. The puppeteers are settled in Madurai, Kanyakumari, Kovilpatti, Theni districts and near Chennai city.
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