THOLPAVAKOOTHU

Harisree kannan tholpavakoothu nadan kala kendram

Koonathara nagaram

P.O. Koonaathara, Shoranur

KERALA-679 523

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Tolpava Koothu

The Shadow Puppet Theatre of Kerala

Transcript of a Documentary by the Department of Tourism,

Government of Kerala, 2005

Tolpavakoothu

Tol means leather, Pava means puppet and Koothu means play. Tolpavakoothu is the

staging of plays with leather puppets. This ritual art form is being performed at the

Goddess Bhadrakali temples in and around Palakkad district.

It is a sort of shadow play staged at night. The stage is curtained-off with a white cloth

and leather puppets held up with sticks are behind this screen. Earthern lamps are

placed behind the puppets to create shadows on the screen. There are permanent

stages called Koothumadams in many temples for the staging of this art form.

Tolpavakoothu is based on Kamba Ramayana, a Tamil version of the Indian epic

Ramayana, by the great scholar Kambar, a Tamil poet of the 12th century. The story is

presented through poems and narrations. It is believed that a scholar named

Chinnathampi Vadhyar composed the script of this art form based on Kamba

Ramayana. The story of Ramayana is presented in 21 parts and it needs 21 days to

complete the plays.

Artistes

Mr. K. Lakshmana pulavar (Master Puppeteer)

Mr. K. Lamaswamy Pulavar (singer, story teller)

Mr. K. Ramesh Pulavar (puppeteer)

Mr. A. Sadhananthta pulavar (story teller)

Mr. sundara pulavar (puppeteer)

Mr. K.L Sajeesh (puppeteer)

Mr. R.Krishna raj (puppeteer)

Mr. Sudevan (puppeteer)

Mr. Anil (Chenda)