Tholpavakoothu

Tholpavakoothu (literally "leather puppet play") is an ancient shadow puppet theatre tradition from the Palakkad region of Kerala. This sacred art form is performed exclusively in temples dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali as a ritual offering, with the entire Ramayana epic narrated over 41 consecutive nights during the annual temple festival.

The puppets are made from processed deer skin and are intricately cut with perforations that create detailed shadow patterns when backlit by 21 coconut oil lamps. The master puppeteers, known as Pulavars, belong to hereditary families who have preserved this art for over a millennium. The play is performed behind a white cloth screen stretched on a special stage called Koothumadam, built specially for this purpose in temple premises.