The Story
In the village of Nimmalakunta, Andhra Pradesh, an ancient storytelling tradition continues to live through leather, colour, light and shadow. This is Tholu Bommalata, the traditional leather shadow-puppetry art of Andhra Pradesh. It is an art form in which carefully crafted leather figures once came alive against a screen, carrying stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and other cultural traditions to audiences across villages.
At the heart of this living tradition is Sindhe Siva, a contemporary leather-puppetry artist and designer dedicated to carrying the craft into a new generation. Growing up within a family connected to this hereditary art, Siva learned the craft from his elders from an early age. His journey has taken the traditional skills of leather preparation, drawing, intricate punching and hand-painting and given them new possibilities for today's audiences.
The making of each piece demands patience and precision. Leather is carefully prepared before the artisan sketches the design, cuts and punches intricate patterns, and adds colour by hand. The perforations are an especially distinctive feature of Tholu Bommalata, allowing light to pass through the leather and creating the characteristic interplay of colour, light and shadow. Traditional craft practices in Nimmalakunta use leather, natural colours and hand tools to create puppets as well as contemporary decorative objects.
Siva's work does not stop at preserving the past. He has explored contemporary applications of the craft, creating lampshades, paintings, wall hangings, lamps, clocks, jewellery and other decorative pieces, while continuing to work with the visual language of leather puppetry. His work also brings traditional storytelling into conversations around contemporary themes, including climate change, equality and mental health.
His commitment extends beyond his own creations. Through workshops and training, Siva has worked to share the craft with others and create opportunities for fellow artisans, including women artisans. Public profiles associated with his work describe workshops, employment opportunities and efforts to take Tholu Bommalata to wider audiences through contemporary design and digital platforms.
In 2025, the Indian Institute of Crafts & Design recognised Sindhe Siva with the Suresh Neotia Award for New Generation Crafts Person, acknowledging his efforts to revitalise Tholu Bommalata through bilingual storytelling, multimedia innovation and socially relevant themes.
More Than Leather. A Living Story.
Every piece created by Sindhe Siva carries something that cannot be mass-produced—the patience of the artisan, the knowledge passed through generations and the cultural memory of Nimmalakunta.
What began as a traditional form of storytelling through light and shadow continues today in a new form, finding its way into contemporary homes and collections while retaining the soul of Andhra Pradesh's heritage.
Through his hands, leather becomes art, light becomes a storyteller, and an ancient tradition finds a place in the modern world.
