Spell of enchantment

Photo: S.Mahinsha

Shadow Play: Throwing light on a traditional way of narrating stories from the Ramayana.

When the forest comes alive with the shadows of prowling animals, screeching birds and swaying trees, it is impossible not to be enchanted by the ancient art form of Tholpavakoothu, practised mainly in the districts of Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur.

Artistes of Krishnan Kutty Pulavar Memorial Tholpavakoothu and Puppet Centre staged a show at Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. The 90-minute performance presented many dramatic scenes from the Kamba Ramayana.

An invocation followed the sound of a conch shell that was blown by one of the performers. As the lamps were lit behind a white screen, the forest became peopled by the characters of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Dialogues and occasional songs were rendered in a mix of Tamil and Malayalam. “Originally, it was in Sanskrit but over time the Sanskrit lyrics were replaced by a mix of local languages,” says Ramachandra Pulavar, the the team leader.

Agile fingers and dexterously handmade puppets recreated familiar scenes from the Ramayana. However, the constraints of time forced the performers to stage an abridged version of the Ramayana. Nevertheless, the troupe did manage to stage crucial scenes of the epic such as the battles between Ravana and Jatayu, Bali and Sugreeva and the final confrontation between Rama and Ravana. The story, which began from Shoorpanakha’s entrance, concluded with Rama’s coronation as the king of Ayodhya.

Shoorpanakha’s dramatic entry was awe-inspiring as was the scene that showed Lakshmanan cutting down a tree and in the process killing Shoorpanakha’s son as well. Sound effects and burning torches accentuated the dramatic effect of the action-filled scenes. On the other hand, the animals in the forest, particularly the deer and Jatayu, captivated the audience with their nimble movements. It was an adroit display of synchronised hand movements and dialogues.

Songs were accompanied by rhythmic beats of the chenda and the ezhupura, two percussion instruments traditionally used in Tholpavakoothu performances. “The artistes have to be trained for nearly six years before they can take part in a performance. They are also taught to make the leather puppets,” explains Ramachandra Pulavar.

Tholpavakoothu is usually performed in Koothu madoms on the premises of Bhadrakali temples, from January to June as a kind of ritualistic offering to the goddess. Legend has it that Tholpavakoothu was performed at the request of Bhadrakali, who was away fighting Darikasura, when Rama killed Ravana. So the entire battle had to be enacted for her.

The Krishnankutty Pulavar memorial centre which claims to be the only troupe in Kerala that performs Tholpavakoothu is actively involved in trying to preserve the rich cultural tradition along with training new artists. “We are looking into contemporary themes,” says Ramachandra Pulavar. “A show on Mahathma Gandhi is in the final stages. We are also planning to do performances on AIDS awareness, anti-ragging and other social issues,” he adds.

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