TechInnovation/India – Technology meets tradition: Kerala’s robotic leather puppets (Kavitha Yarlagadda, Al Jazeera)

A cool breeze, soulful prayer verses and eye-catching puppetry mesmerise the 25-plus audience sitting in chairs under the night sky of Koonathara, a village in Palakkad district in Kerala, India. They are a mix of locals and tourists from all over the world.

Tholpavakoothu (thol meaning leather, pava meaning puppet and koothu meaning play) is a form of shadow puppetry performed during events and festivals held in the temples dedicated to the goddesses Durga or Kaali. The artform is found only in Palakkad, Thrissur and neighbouring villages in Kerala.

Technology meets tradition: Kerala’s robotic leather puppets | Arts and Culture | Al Jazeera

A horse and warrior from the epic Ramayana, performed through a type of shadow puppetry called tholpavakoothu [Photo courtesy of Sajeesh Pulavar]

A horse and warrior from the epic Ramayana, performed through a type of shadow puppetry called tholpavakoothu [Photo courtesy of Sajeesh Pulavar]

Marco Emanuele
Marco Emanuele è appassionato di cultura della complessità, cultura della tecnologia e relazioni internazionali. Approfondisce il pensiero di Hannah Arendt, Edgar Morin, Raimon Panikkar. Marco ha insegnato Evoluzione della Democrazia e Totalitarismi, è l’editor di The Global Eye e scrive per The Science of Where Magazine. Marco Emanuele is passionate about complexity culture, technology culture and international relations. He delves into the thought of Hannah Arendt, Edgar Morin, Raimon Panikkar. He has taught Evolution of Democracy and Totalitarianisms. Marco is editor of The Global Eye and writes for The Science of Where Magazine.

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