Tholpavakoothu is the shadow puppetry of Kerala. This 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 is presented in 21 nights. This narration, called ‘Aadal Pattu’, comprises both verses and prose. While a majority of the verses are excerpts from Kamba Ramayana, some are modified versions. Except a few written in a mix of Tamil and Sanskrit, all the verses are in Tamil. Explanations and interpretation of the dialogues are also made by the artistes.

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.