Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
- Muthuchandra Rao, a renowned puppet artist from the Kanniyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, has been invited to perform at the Fetna 36th Convention in the United States (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA)).
Recognized for his artistry and recipient of the Tamil Nadu government’s Kalaimamani Award, Mr Muthuchandra Rao will showcase “Thol Pavai Koothu,” a form of puppetry.
He will also train Tamil children in making dolls and puppets, as well as voice modulations. The aim is to promote traditional arts and divert children’s attention from smartphones. Mr Muthuchandra Rao’s troupe uses goat skin for making puppets, and they have prepared performances with themes relevant to modern times.
Tholpavaikoothu is a form of Shadow puppetry made of three Tamil terms, thol, meaning leather, pavai, meaning doll, and koothu, meaning the play or drama. This form of art is especially popular in the Madurai, Kanyakumar (TN), Palakkad Thrissur and Malappuram districts of Kerala
