Bommalattam or Puppetry is held in rural areas of Tamil Nadu during festivals and fairs. Skilled puppeteers manipulate the puppets with strings or wires. They stand behind a screen and the puppets are held in front. The puppetry depicts stories mainly from the Puranas, epics and folklore. Even during Indian freedom struggle, the awareness programmes for the common people were conducted through puppet shows to instill patriotism among the people. Therukoothu is usually conducted during village festivals in the months of Aadi and Panguni. In this dance form, make-up and costumes are considered very important. It is performed on the streets and in open air. The performance involves storytelling, songs, dance and dialogue rendering.
