Burra katha, also spelled as Burrakatha, is a story-telling technique used in villages of Andhra Pradesh. The troupe consists of one main performer and two co-performers. It is a narrative entertainment consists of prayers, solo drama, dance, songs, poems and jokes. The topic will be either a hindu mythological story or a contemporary social problem.Burra is referred to Tambura, a musical instrument with a hallow shell and attached strings. Katha means story.
Burra means a skull in telugu. The shell resembles a human skull. It is made of baked clay or dried pumpkin, or of brass and copper. The instrument looks very similar to Veena and the performer can pull and press strings to get music.
