Tholpavakkoothu or shadow puppetry is a traditional temple art in Kerala.
It is used to be performed in the Bhadrakali temples of Palakkad, telling tales from the Ramayana.
The narrative used for the performance is a mixture of prose and poetry called Adalpattu.
The puppetry is staged on a special structure in temple premises called Koothumadam.
Togalu Gombeyatta is the shadow theatre of Karnataka is known as Togalu Gombeyatta.
The puppets differ in size according to their social status, for instance, large size for kings and religious characters and smaller size for common people or servants.
Tholu Bommalata is Andhra Pradesh’s shadow theatre and has the richest and strongest tradition.
Ravanachhaya is the most theatrical shadow puppetry and is a popular form of entertainment in the Odisha region.
They do not have any joints attached to them, making it a more complex art.
Use of non-human puppets such as trees and animals is common.
