Andhra Pradesh, a state known for its vibrant traditions and rich cultural history, is facing a silent erosion of many of its age-old customs. With urbanization, modernization, and lack of documentation, several cultural practices that once defined the Telugu identity are now fading into oblivion. Here are the top 5 Andhra Pradesh cultural practices that are about to extinct, each rooted in history yet struggling to survive.
1. Burrakatha Folk Art of Andhra Pradesh Losing Its Voice
Burrakatha, one of the most iconic traditional storytelling forms of Andhra Pradesh, involves a trio of performers—one lead narrator and two chorus members. This format blends speech, song, and rhythmic instruments to convey mythological tales, moral lessons, or even political satire. During the freedom struggle, Burrakatha was widely used as a tool for political awareness and social reform, performed in village squares and temple courtyards. Its versatility and emotional depth once made it a vibrant part of Telugu cultural identity.
However, in the modern era, Burrakatha has lost its audience. With the advent of television, cinema, and mobile entertainment, younger generations have moved away from live folk performances. Most Burrakatha artists struggle financially and rarely get performance opportunities. Despite sporadic government efforts to revive it through cultural festivals or textbooks, the lack of consistent funding, mentorship, and audience interest continues to endanger this once-popular folk art.
2. Telugu Shadow Puppetry (Tholu Bommalata) Fading Into Shadows
Tholu Bommalata, meaning “dance of leather puppets,” is one of the oldest forms of shadow puppetry in India, rooted deeply in Andhra Pradesh’s cultural and religious traditions. Performers manipulate large, translucent leather puppets behind a white screen, accompanied by music and narrations from epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The art form was not just entertainment—it was a mobile temple of knowledge, spreading ethical and religious values to rural audiences with no access to formal education.
Today, Tholu Bommalata is practiced by only a handful of families in districts like Anantapur and Kurnool. The decline in demand, combined with the cost and complexity of creating traditional puppets, has discouraged the younger generation from learning the craft. Moreover, the absence of state-level cultural preservation policies and reduced patronage has made it nearly impossible for artists to sustain a livelihood. If immediate steps aren’t taken to support artisans and document their work, this rich form of Telugu puppetry may soon vanish completely.
3. Kolatam Dance Tradition of Andhra Pradesh Disappearing from Rural Festivals
Kolatam is a traditional folk dance performed in Andhra villages, especially during festivals like Ugadi, Dasara, and Sankranti. Participants, usually women and children, dance in circles with decorated sticks in hand, rhythmically striking them to the beat of folk songs. It is both a celebratory and symbolic dance, representing unity, agricultural abundance, and community bonding. Historically, Kolatam was also used in social campaigns to educate rural populations on themes like hygiene, women’s health, and education.
Despite its cultural significance, Kolatam has steadily declined in public participation and visibility. With urbanization and migration, many villages no longer have the critical mass or interest to organize group dances. Schools and colleges may feature Kolatam during annual events, but these are often rehearsed performances lacking the authenticity and community engagement of traditional versions. The absence of structured learning or archiving methods further contributes to the erosion of this folk legacy.
4. Traditional Andhra Weaving Customs (Narasapur and Dharmavaram) Losing Their Looms
Andhra Pradesh’s weaving heritage includes some of India’s finest textiles—like the hand-knotted lace from Narasapur and the rich silk sarees of Dharmavaram. These crafts are more than just utilitarian; they are symbolic of status, ceremony, and community identity. Generations of families have passed down the knowledge of dyeing, weaving, and embroidery, with each region offering unique motifs and weaving styles rooted in local history and environment.
Unfortunately, the rise of power looms and mass-produced synthetic fabrics has devastated the traditional weaving industry. Many artisan families have abandoned their looms due to insufficient income, rising material costs, and exploitative middlemen. Younger generations are unwilling to invest in a craft with uncertain returns. Without direct market access, brand recognition, or state subsidies, these once-celebrated textile traditions risk extinction in the coming decades.
5. Andhra Pradesh Tribal Rituals (Koya and Lambadi) on the Brink of Disappearance
Tribal communities like the Koya, Chenchu, and Lambadi in Andhra Pradesh possess unique cultural rituals tied to agriculture, spiritual healing, and seasonal changes. These include offerings to forest deities, ancestral worship, and ceremonial dances that are deeply integrated with their ecological knowledge and oral histories. Festivals like Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara, which celebrates resistance to oppressive rulers, continue to attract large crowds but are increasingly commercialized and disconnected from their tribal roots.
Modernization, deforestation, and state interventions have disrupted tribal settlements, making it difficult for these groups to continue their rituals in traditional ways. Sacred groves are now construction sites, and oral narratives are being lost due to lack of documentation. Moreover, some tribal customs are appropriated into mainstream culture in diluted or glamorized forms, leaving behind the communities that originated them. The erosion of tribal cultural identity in Andhra Pradesh is not just a loss for them—it’s a loss for the state’s historical and anthropological richness.
As Andhra Pradesh progresses into a digital future, its cultural past is at risk of being forgotten. Preserving these dying cultural practices of Andhra Pradesh requires more than nostalgia—it demands policy intervention, grassroots awareness, and institutional funding. Without proactive measures, the next generation may only read about these traditions in textbooks, rather than witnessing them in real life.