What is Pavakathakali or Pavakoothu?

'Pava' means doll and 'koothu' means dance. It is a traditional glove puppetry show native to Kerala. This art form is performed mostly in the rural areas. This tradition can be traced back to almost 4 centuries (the 18th century) from Paruthippuly village of the Palghat district , after Kathakali reached that region. It is believed that goddess ‘Vishnumaya’ assumed the form of a beautiful puppet to fascinate the Asuras (demons). It is practised in the interior villages of Palakkad district and its surrounding areas. For several generations a few families from the Paruthippully village of Palakkad, known as ‘Andi Pandarams’, have been practising this form of puppetry.