NIMMALAKUN

TA LEATHER
PUPPET
CENTER

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NIMMALAKUNTA – FAMOUS FOR
LEATHER PUPPETS
• leather puppets and Lamp shades are the hallmark of Andhra Pradesh
art and crafts. This form of craft is inextricably linked to the state’s
traditional folk and cultural expression, called Leather puppetry.
• Nimmalakunta is situated in Andhra Pradesh, dharmavaram which is
the third biggest town in Anantapur district. The place is renowned for
its production of silk saris.
• The temples are important pilgrimage centers. Putapurthi , the birth
place of Sathya Sai baba is at 28 km.
• Nimmalakunta is a small village,13 kms from the dharmavaram
Mandal. It comes under pothulanagepalle panchayat and lies in
Rayalaseema region.
• It is situated 48km south from district headquarters at Anantapur and
406 km from Hyderabad.
DEMOGRAPHY
• Nimmalakunta has around 100 families staying in the village. The total
area is 2000 hectares.
CLIMATE
• The period from December to February is cool and pleasant. The
weather is quite hot during summers, with highest temperature raise
at 42 c . The highest rainfall is in the months of august and September.
INTRODUCTION
Tholu bommalata is the shadow puppet theatre tradition of Andhra
Pradesh state of India. It performers are wandering entertainers and
pedlars that pass through an Indian village during the course of a year –
offering to sing ballads, tell fortunes, sell art, perform plays, charm snakes,
weave fishnets.

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• The development of the village is along the main road.
• There are about 100 families in which 80% of population are
dependent on puppets making. The remaining 20% of population are
dependent on farming.
• They grow groundnut, rice, dal, and all other vegetables.
• Most of the people who make puppets work together in a family. So
the percentage of male and female in puppet making is equal.

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• The lifestyle of people is very simple . On an
average there are 4 members in a family. The
children go to the local government school.
• The village have one temple and on church.
• The puppet makers are from Maharashtra
settled in nimmalakunta due to their personal
reasons.
• The language spoken my people are mostly
Telugu.
• All the houses have basic amenities they need
– well constructed cement houses, school,
electricity, and other resources.
• There are many national award winner for
their work in the art.

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 NEWS PAPER ARTICLES

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• They have both kacha and pakka houses.

THEN AND NOW

• The puppetry shows are now-a –days held during the festivals season
only in the village and outskirts. Very few people practise the art these
days. The puppet theatre is evolving with time, with epics getting
interwoven with popular myths and tales.
• The is no specific market or any stage for the performances. The
performances would go on for 6 nights for Ramayana and 18 nights for
Mahabharata are now reduced to just an hour show.
• They only play the shows when the foreigners who adopted the village
comes to visit.
• With the onset of the electronic media, the traditional leather puppetry
as an art form is slowly losing its shean, affecting the livelihood of those
whose lives have been devoted to it.
• Now, the eye-catching leather puppets has changed them into many
other innovative . They started making decorative items which can be
used in houses like lamps, door hangings, story frames etc..,.

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PROCESS

Goat skin is bought from the

near by market for 700/-
varying in the size.

After the skin is brought it is

thoroughly washed with hot
water to remove the blood
and dirt.

The cleaned skin is soaked

in lime water for 10 days.

Then the skin is vigorously

cleaned with a chisel to get
a smooth surface.

Then again it is soaked in

lime water in addition to
kadaka powder.

The leather is then soaked

to sun for a week or so until
it dries.

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MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED:
• Goat hide and the sheep skin are common materials used in the process.
• Some other materials are waterproof natural and artificial colours,
hammer, chisel, needle, scissors, paint brush and mould.
• The colours are made by themselves and few rare colours are bought
from market.
Raw materials and tools are easily available in Dharmavaram, Anantapur,
narsaraopet and Hyderabad.
MARKET:
• The industry is spread all over the rural and urban areas. Handicrafts
industry is the main source of income for rural communities.
• The market for leather puppets and leather lampshades is through
exhibitions and through emporia ( such as lepakshi ) and other crafts
stores. According to the crafts person, the government needs to play a
more proactive role in marketing, and in providing infrastructural
support such as setting up exhibition spaces. The dealers come to their
homes or place order through phone.

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 NIMMALAKUNTA LEATHER
PUPPET CENTER

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Nimmalakunta leather puppet centre is located in nimmalakunta,
dharmavaram mandal, Anantapur district.
The puppet centre is been started construction from 2016 and is still in
construction.
It is under control of central government.
This building is constructed by tourism department for the
development and place for people to make , sale, and learn puppetry.
The centre has facilities as:
• Stage
The stage is of 2.5m *3m which is used for performances . It is
designed at the entrance of the place with a sitting area in the front.
The entrance has a big opening with grill gates.
• Seating area
the seating area is located at the entrance which is accommodated for
30 people.
• Workshop rooms
There are two workshops, is the place where the puppeteers get
trained and work on their puppets.
• Souvenir shop
The souvenir shop is placed at the left of seating area. The shop is
designed to sale the puppets and related products like lampshades,
wall hangings, story frames..,etc.
• Rest room
The rest room is provided with a facility of single cot where the
workers can take rest for a while.
• Washrooms
• Store room
The storeroom is designed for store the material needed for puppet
making.

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 ENTRANCE FOR THE CENTRE
The unit is constructed with basic requirements and simple design. The
structure is constructed with concrete and bricks. It has a capacity of 50
people.

FEW OF THE PICTURES FOR THE SHOWS WHICH THEY DO AT THE TIME OF
FESTIVALS AND ALL OTHER SPECIAL OCCASIONS

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 S.W.O.T ANALYSIS

STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES
• Designs can be changed as well as • Local artisans are unaware about the
customized according to the domestic, national and international
preference of the customer. market trends and their
• Handicraft industry requires low requirements.
capital investments. • Due to this they are lack in updating
• Usually in this field the artisans are themselves.
not pressurized and can work, as • Due to lack of promotions there are
they like. very few buyers.
• They get help from government. • Their business is limited to only few
• Exhibitions act as a good platforms exhibitions and private patrons.
for private buyers.
• Usually there are no middle man, so
a direct contact with the local
artisans easily be built.

OPPURTUNITIES THREATS
• There is rising demand for • As we can find the availability of
handicrafts in developed countries cheaper and better quality products,
such as USA, Canada, Britain, France, the artisans have to suffer with less
Germany, Italy etc. profit.
• Development of domestic tourism • With higher pay and better
sector, which can help in promoting opportunities , artisans change their
of the craft. lifestyle.
• In advancement of e- commerce and • Due to updated technology of
internet, though select distribution movies and internet has lead to non
channels to market and sell the craft interest in arts like theatre and
products. puppet shows.
• Few of the artisans are taken to
foreign countries and got awarded.

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 TALK WITH A VILLAGE RESIDENT

• NAME: Mohan Rao ( 10th class passed out)

• WIFE NAME: vani ( 7th class passed out )
• AWARD: state award winner
• CHILDERN: 2 kids
QUESTIONARIES'
1. what is percentage of puppet makers?
In 100 families 70 families have their occupation as puppet making.
2. what arts do they include?
They include drawing painting, singing.
3.span of work in a year?
Work whole year
4.Do they go any where to sale their products?
They go to Mumbai/Chennai/Delhi in the season from march to October.
They have to go only after they receive an offer letter.
5.Source of material?
They get colours from Mumbai and they make few colours using
chemicals which are instant dry. Readymade sheets are also available
with 300 per sheets.( 3ft*3ft)
6.Support from government and private?
DRD ( mahila sangha's) – invite them for programs
Lepakshi emporium
DCH – central government
7.On what stories do they do the plays?
Mahabharata and Ramayana
8.How are the dealers involved in the marketing?
There are no dealers

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9.What are the problems faced by them?
Due to lack of scope 90% of the art is being decreased. They need a exposure for their art
and place where they can exhibit their art and products
10.On what occasions do they perform?
Ganesh Chaturthi
Shivarathri
Rama Navami
They also perform at putapurthi on baba’s birthday events
11.Development in techniques?
• New techniques are thought by government by conducting workshop.
• The trainees come from Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai.
• There is no specific place to teach ,trainees visit each house to teach the puppet
makers.
• The show them new drawings and new techniques to make them.
• The payment for trainees is provided by government.
12.What are their requirements for a performance?
Puppets , instruments, screen, singers, usually they have 2 ladies and 4 men
13.What is the reason for not using the locally built puppet theatre?
As much of the villagers are not interested in watching the same plays repeatedly
14.Source of finance?
DWCRA – exhibitons
Loans with 25 paise interest rate
Subsidy – 35,000/1 lakh
15.Location of markets?
No market in their locality
16.Time taken to make a product?
Lamps – small – half day
- large – a day
puppets/ door hangings and story frames depends on the size.
17. Involvement of the children?
Children start learning from their childhood as their side hobby.

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Shilaparamam, hyderabad

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Project: shilparamam
Year of construction: 1992
Architect: cote consultants Hyderabad
Client: shilparamam arts, crafts & cultural society
Area of plot: 63.29 acres
Location: Madhapur road in hitec city, beyond jubilee hills in
Hyderabad.
Significance: crafts village
Attractions: melas, boating, stage performances.
Specifications: exhibits arts and crafts from all parts of the country.
Climate and surroundings: the climate of Hyderabad remains fairly
warm through most parts of the year and does not receive much rainfall
in the monsoon. During the summer months, the temperature raise up
to 42 degrees while in winters the minimum temperature may come
down to as low as 12 degrees.
the front of the site covered a commercial complex , on right
is a grand cyber building. Shilapramam is one of the major locations in
Madhapur.

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Concept of the project:
• For promotion and preservation of arts and craft.
• To showcase ethnic architecture.
• Shilapramam is spread over land placed by the hillside with natural
slopes and wild vegetation studded by unique rock formations.
• The efforts of modern landscape architecture inspired by rustic
aesthetics brick structures with thatched roof, walls decorated with
traditional rangoli designs create an authentic village locale.
• The village was conceived with an idea to create an environment for
the preservation of traditional crafts.
• The craftsmen have setup shops, more than 450 of them, decorated
in simple and rustic styles to sell the goods they make from textiles
to artifacts.
• The shops and most of the structures here are representative of rural
aesthetics manifesting in thatched roofs, rangoli-carpeted floors and
folk frescos and murals.
FACILITIES PROVIDED IN THE COMPLEX:
• Parking
• Toilets
• Artisans bazar
• Boating
• Rural museum
• Amphitheatre
• Food courts
• Rock museum
• Auditorium
• Multipurpose hall
• Administration
• Koanaseema
• Main lawn
• Special melas
• pavilions

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CIRCULATION PATTERN AND ZONING:
There are mostly single storey building units in the site, the circulation
pattern is horizontal that it forming pedestrian movement and
pathways.

pathway

Vehicular
movement

Shape:
Most of the spaces are in geometrical forms with a irregular forms of
open spaces.
Surface:
Walls are decorated in simple and rustic styles, rangoli motifs done on
the walls and also frescos.
Heights of the buildings:
Most of the buildings are single storey with sloping roof. Height at the
centre is about 5.4m & 2.4m. The height of auditorium is more than
3m.

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These places has a quality of spaces which is very closely related to
natural things& also correlated to landscaping features. These kind of
spaces also encourages the interaction between the people. To create
more eco friendly environment material were used like thash sloping
roofs brick walls containing rangoli patterns.

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FUNCTIONS OF EACH FACILITY PROVIDED:

ROCK MUSEUM:
It is scenic rock garden that draws people seeking
peace & relaxation. This garden has many
exhibits in the natural rock formations of rock
they had given a name of various animals, birds
etc.
RURAL MUSEUM:
This museum designed in a typical Indian village.
Over 15 life-size huts, authentically constructed
out of backed clay and thatch, depict rural
lifestyles and the life of various artisans. It
provides a window to rural life for city dwellers
and those who have never visited a village
before.
MAIN LAWN:
The Hitec city is dominated with tall concrete structures, the green
lawns in complex are a welcome change for everyone. This lawn
designed with ethnic motifs, terracotta sculptures. The main lawn is
also being the centre stage of action for performing folk art form.

OAT:
The O.A.T. provides the perfect ambience for
people to relax and enjoy a variety of cultural
programs, including classical music, dance folk
art performance every weekend. This
amphitheatre having capacity of 2500 people.
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 FOOD COURT:
The food court is provided with a capacity of
60 people. the space is semi open with
temporary semi closed seating.

MULTIPURPOSE HALL:
It is a multifunctional hall provided for the
family functions like marriages etc with the
capacity of 2500 people.

KONASEEMA:
A picturesque lakeside setting for private
parties for between 150 and 200 people. It is a
replica of the lush delta of coastal Andhra
Pradesh. An account trees which give nice
feeling of coastal area.
SERVICES:
• Water supply is ensured by Hyderabad metro water board, 2 large
borewells, natural lake which is used for boating.
• Split AC in office, centralized AC in auditorium was provided.
• Already existing service lines for the drainage.
• Control room was provide to OAT.
• Four transformers are provided in complex.
Services provided specially in Shilpa kalavedika:
• A separate car parking is provided for 500 four wheeler and 700
two wheelers.
• Orchestra pit, acoustic false ceiling, sound system of bose ( 25000
watts).
• Multilevel & multifunctional stage lighting.
• Access for disabled.
• Easily accessed seating areas.
• Reserved car parking areas.
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ROOFING DETAILS:
• L- steel section were used to support roof. Bamboo used as batten
over that bamboo mat was used. These mats were covered with dried
grass.
• For the larger span steel column & trusses are used to support roof.
To improve aesthetic quality structural members are cladded with
bamboo slates.
• In the village museum some of the structures are in mud walls &
some of walls constructed with clay pots & mud used as a plaster.

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MERITS:
• Because of the concept of ethnic architecture building looks
prominent in the surroundings .
• good segregation between recreation areas, shopping areas, office
areas, family entertainment areas etc.
• Separation of pedestrian and vehicular movement.
• A good service road.
• Enough width of pathways which can be used for multifunction like
for exhibits, some food stalls during melas.
• Its justifies the to site by using natural lakes for boating.
• Well use of contours to the design.
• Rock gallery which has many exhibits in natural rock formation.

DEMERITS:
• Dormitories are not enough for the craftsmen.
• Maintenance of thatch roofs is very bad.
• The cleanliness of water is not maintained.
• Parking is not enough during melas.
• There is no separate entry from the parking.
• O.A.T. is not oriented according to the wind direction.
• The food court is not enough for all the visitors.

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