Tholpavakkoothu:
For the first time, Tholpavakkoothu, the famous shadow leather puppets will tell stories of the epic Ramayana with the help of robots.
- Tholpavakoothu is a form of shadow puppetry that is practiced in Kerala, India.
- It is performed using leather puppets as a ritual dedicated to Bhadrakali and is performed in Devi temples in specially built theatres called koothumadams.
- This art form is especially popular in the Palakkad, Thrissur, and Malappuram districts of Kerala.
- It is believed to have originated in the ninth century AD and uses Kamba Ramayana as its basic text.
- The puppets used in Tholpavakoothu used to be made out of deerskin but are now typically made from goatskin.
- The puppets are painted in vegetable dyes, as these dyes last long.
