OUR STAFF REPORTER
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
‘Tholpava (Laxman)', a shadow puppet made of leather of Kerala is ‘Third Exhibit of the Week’ of July at the social media pages of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal.
The height and width of the exhibit, collected from Saiva Vellala Soni, Palakkad community of Kerala in 2016, are 79cm and 46 cm. Director of the museum Praveen Kumar Mishra says that Tholpavakoothu or shadow puppetry is one of the ancient ritualistic art forms of Kerala. It is a composite word of three Malayalam terms, Thol (leather), Pava (puppet), and Koothu (play). Its theme is based on the epic Kamba Ramayana, which tells the story of Lord Shri Rama from birth to coronation.
He says it is enacted by using leather puppets in a special playhouse called 'Koothu madam', built in the temples dedicated to Bhadrakali. An idol of the Goddess is typically set up on a pedestal in front of the playhouse during the performance to solicit blessings and add charm to the play. This art form is very popular in the Palakkad, Thrissur, and Malappuram districts of Kerala.
He further says Tholpavakoothu puppets are made of animal hide. To produce a decent piece of leather, the skin is put through a variety of processes. The figures are drawn over the skin and carefully trimmed to size for setting up a proper facial expression.
Ornaments and dresses are drawn by chiselling the outlines and making holes of different shapes. The puppet is then attached with the hand that could be animated during the play. Natural colours are used to paint the puppets to highlight the charm and beauty of the character.
A bamboo stick is fixed vertically along the puppet to control the movement of the play. The master puppeteer who directs the show is called a Pulaver. The performers belong to the Vellalachetti and Nair castes, MIshra adds.
The exhibition began on Monday. Visitors can see this object from home through the official site (https://igrms.com/wordpress/?page_id=8761) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NationalMuseumMankind), Instagram and twitter page of the museum.
