Tholpavakoothu is the shadow puppetry of Kerala. In Malayalam, Thol means leather, pava means puppet and koothu, the play. This play was composed by Chinnathampi Vadhyar, an ancient scholar. The play is based on Kamba Ramayana, the Tamil version of the Indian epic Ramayana, authored by the great Tamil scholar and poet Kambar who lived in the 12th century.

The story of Ramayana is composed for Tholpavakoothu in 21 parts, which are presented during 21 nights. About 300 puppets are needed for a full performance. The puppets are made from deer hide. The hide is first cleaned and dried. After this an outline is drawn and the puppets are carefully chiselled out. The visual beauty of a performance largely depends on the perfection in shape and expression of a puppet.

The puppets are usually made by the performers themselves. However, this delicate job is done by the most skilled and seasoned among them.