Tolpava Koothu Artist
rajeev pulavar
Palakkad, Kerala
The troupe at Koonathara was founded generations back and revived by the renowned and award winning Tolpava Koothu artist late Guru Krishnan Kutty Pulavar and is now the only surviving puppetry community in Kerala to preserve the art form and train new artists in the traditional repertoire as well as in new productions. The name Pulavar itself is a title bestowed on such a person who has gone through an intensive training in puppetry and puppet making that includes an in-depth knowledge of Tamil literature and especially the Kamba Ramayana. The name is thus used as a prefix like Sir, Lord, Shree like the Pandit in Sanskrit and Hindi.
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Tolpava Koothu, the unique shadow puppet theater form of Kerala, South India, is preserved as a family tradition by the Pulavar.
It is an ancient peculiar ritualistic art form dedicated to Bhagavati, worshiped by the people of Kerala as the Mother Goddess.
As a ritualistic art form, Tolpava Koothu is performed during the months of January to May at the specially constructed theater called Koothu Madam in front of the Bhagavati temple.
The Puppets are made of deer skin and are held by a thin stick in one hand while the limbs are manipulated by a thinner stick held in another hand of the puppeteer.
About 160 puppets are used for the complete version of the “Kamba Ramayana”, representing 71 characters in four main categories (sitting, standing, walking, fighting) besides puppets to depict nature, battle scenes and ceremonial parades.
Craft Style Followed:
Tolpava Koothu
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