Training of Tholpavakoothu, Kerala

Tholpavakoothu is the shadow puppetry of Kerala. Mainly performed as a ritual at the Bhadrakali temples in and around the district of Palakkad in the state.

A few ancient puppeteer families in and around the district of Palakkad are the sole performers of this art form today. Palm leaf scripts of the play are preserved in these homes. The hundreds of verses and prose are learnt by heart by the performers at a very young age. Shown in the video is such a training class.