While the "Pattu" school flourished among certain sections of the society, the literature of the elite was composed in the curious mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam which is referred to as "Manipravalam", "mani" meaning ruby (Malayalam) and "pravalam" meaning coral (Sanskrit). "Lilathilakam", a work on grammar and rhetoric, written in the last quarter of the 14th century discusses the relationship between "Manipravalam" and "Pattu" as poetic forms. It lays special emphasis on the types of words that blend harmoniously. It points out that the rules of Sanskrit prosody should be followed in "Manipravalam" poetry. This particular school of poetry was patronised by the upper classes, especially the Nambudiris. Dramatic performances given in "Koothambalams", known by the names of "Koothu" and "Koodiyattom", often used Sanskrit and Malayalam. In "Koodiyattom", the clown ("vidooshaka") is allowed to use Malayalam while the hero recites "slokas" in Sanskrit. Tholan, a legendary court poet in the period of the Kulasekhara kings, is believed to have started this practice.