🎭 About the Art Form:

Definition: An ancient form of shadow puppetry utilizing puppets crafted from translucent goat hide (Thol = Leather, Paavai = Doll, Koothu = Performance).

The Craft: A sophisticated intersection of visual art, storytelling, and engineering. Puppets are meticulously perforated to allow light to filter through, creating intricate shadows on a white screen illuminated by oil lamps.

Performance: Traditionally lasting several nights depicting epics like the Ramayana, the lead puppeteer coordinates complex manual manipulation with percussion while delivering scripted and improvised dialogue. It served as a "community cinema" blending moral instruction with sharp social wit.