Butta Bommalu – Folk Dance of Andhra Pradesh

Butta Bommalu is an amazing folk dance of Andhra Pradesh. This dance is performed to celebrate happiness during festivals. Some believe that the name of the dance has been taken from the king of the place from where this dance was originated.

The name of the king was Tarakasena. He was a Rakshasha or demon. Some others say that the name is based on the costume of the Butta Bommalu dance. The words Butta Bommalu mean basket toys. It is also called the dance of masks. 

Butta Bommalu Dance Performance

This dance is very popular with kids as the Butta Bommalu dance uses big toy-like figures. They are big in size and very colorful. The whole dancing environment of the performance is very mesmerizing.  

No professional training is required for the dancers for this dance. It is very simple and can be performed by anyone. It requires some practice but not of a very long period. The dancers do not sing or speak. They only imitate the actions of the character they are following. 

Dancers dance very softly and gracefully. Although this dance performance can be done by a single artist, it is usually performed in a group of four to eight people. 

Costume of Dancers

Butta Bommalu performers wear a costume made of bamboo sticks, cow dung, paint, and dry grass. It is a doll-like a costume hollow from the inside. Since it is hollow and made from bamboo sticks it is very light-weighted which makes it easier for the dancer to carry it around while dancing.

The dolls are made open at the bottom for the dancer to be able to slip in them. They look like dancing puppets. These costumes are painted with colorful paints. Every dancer wears a costume on their head, shoulder, and waist. Costumes of Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Parvati, Hanuman, etc are very popular. 

This dance can be seen during many festivities in Andhra Pradesh. Which doll is being used depends on the festival too. If it’s Navratri, dolls of goddesses will be used, if it’s Dussehra dolls of Rama and hanuman will be used. The costume of Hanuman is popular among kids. Hanuman dancers do the tricks of a monkey to present their role strongly.

Butta Bommalu Music

There is no specific music used in this dance. Performers start their dance on the beat of the Dappu music instrument. It is a drum-like instrument that gives a beat to the dancer.

Read about other folk dances of India