Bommalattam is a type of
puppetry using inanimate objects from
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. While the origin of the art is uncertain, it has existed as an art form for years. It uses various
doll marionettes, manipulated by rods and strings by puppeteers behind a screen, lighted by traditional lamps. It is usually accompanied by music and story telling.
Background and history
Bommalattam is a type of
puppetry using inanimate objects, that originated in the region.
While the origin of the art is uncertain, it has existed as an art form for years.
Setup
It uses various
doll marionettes which are tall and may weigh up to .
The puppets are manipulated by rods and strings attached to the heads, back, arms and legs.
The puppets are made of light weight
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
and are dressed in crafted
costumes bulked up by
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
stuffings to give a more rounded appearance.
The puppets are carefully crafted with prominent jewellery so that the edges are visible in the shadows.
Puppeteers stand overhead in an area high and wide.
The puppet staging area is created by stretching a black cloth over a bench and the puppets are operated behind a white screen illuminated by a
lantern
A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...
or
oil lamp
An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. The ...
s.
The audience are seated in front of the screen with the screen literally separating the performers and audience, who are able to view the shadows of the puppets which are operated by the puppeteers.
The puppeteers wear
bells which are sounded along with the movements with background music played by traditional instruments such as
cymbal
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...
s,
harmonium and
mridangam
The ''mridangam'' is an ancient percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion in ...
.
Operation
The puppeteer operate the puppets by holding a ring or rod with strings attached and using movements from hands and arms to control the devices such as the rods and strings.
The puppeteer might engage in narration of the stories while dancing the puppets.
The puppeteers may engage in actions corresponding to the music and might sometimes follow the dance patterns of classical
Bharatanatyam
''Bharatanatyam'' is a Indian classical dance form that came from Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism.< ...
.
Usage
The themes are drawn from various Hindu scriptures such as the
and
epics and/with local
folklore
Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
.
The puppet shows are held during festivals and fairs, commonly in villages. The puppet shows are also part of rituals conducted to ward of evil forces, prevent
epidemics and end
drought
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
s by invoking rain.
Bommalattam is usually followed as a family tradition with all members of the family engaged in making the puppets, maintaining them and performing.
''Pava Koothu'' is a variation of puppetry which uses handheld glove puppets.
In popular culture
There have been multiple films of the name:
*
''Bommalattam'' (1968)
*
''Bommalattam'' (2008)
*
''Bommalattam'' (TV series)
Reference
{{Dance in India
Tamil dance styles
Tamil culture
Hindu traditions
Hindu art