Reclassifying Bommalattam: Behind the Curtains of a Centuries-Old String Tradition

The Literary and Spiritual Roots of Marappavai

The antiquity of wooden puppetry, known as Bommalattam, is verified through ancient Tamil literature. The Thirukkural, authored by the philosopher-poet Thiruvalluvar, utilizes these marionettes (marappavai) as a metaphor for the human condition. In Kural 1,020, Thiruvalluvar likens a man devoid of modesty to a soulless puppet governed by strings. Further, in verse 1,058, he suggests that without the presence of those seeking charity, the world would be populated by nothing more than these wooden figures. These references establish the art form as a sophisticated cultural staple existing long before its modern village stage iterations.

The Legacy of Sankaran: Music and Resilience

T.S. Murugan, leader of the Sri Murugan Sangeetha Bommalatta Sabha in Kumbakonam, carries forward a lineage defined by his father, T.N. Sankaran. Despite being visually challenged for years, Sankaran was a master of Carnatic music, studying under luminaries such as Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai. His vocal prowess was so significant that the Kanchi Paramacharya bestowed upon him the title 'Sankaranadan,' and Music Academy founder E. Krishna Iyer once threatened to cancel a Rashtrapathi Bhavan performance rather than proceed without Sankaran’s participation.

The craft demands rigorous physical and creative input:

• Complexity: Each show requires at least 15 trained personnel.
• Scale: Figures range from one-foot depictions of children to three-foot demons weighing 22 kilograms.
• Craftsmanship: While carpenters shape the limbs, family members often paint the faces, with contemporary puppets costing up to 1.5 lakh rupees each.

Evolving Repertoire and Modern Challenges

While the Ramanathapuram palace has hosted this troupe for eight decades, the art maintains relevance by integrating contemporary themes. Murugan has expanded traditional Puranic storytelling to include environmental protection and public health awareness. Performances remain structurally elaborate, beginning with a herald's introduction followed by classical dance sequences featuring jatis and thillanas. Between scenes, the troupe maintains momentum by singing abhangs, bhajans, and compositions by the Trinity of Carnatic music.

Despite appearances in major Tamil cinema—including the film Indian starring Kamal Haasan and Sigappu Malargal—the practitioners face severe logistical hurdles. Murugan recounts a history of transporting heavy equipment across rivers by hand and the devastating loss of irreplaceable puppets to traffic accidents and theft. Because the art requires a formal stage, dedicated scripts, and multifaceted artistic mastery, Murugan maintains that the state should officially reclassify Bommalattam as theatre, distinguishing it from open-air folk performances.

Source: The Hindu – Entertainment