Kerala - Kannur   

Theyyam season begins

Staff Reporter

The art form is a combination of dance, music and rituals

IN A NEW ROLE: A Theyyam performer blessing a devotee at Chathampally Vishakantan Kavu at Kolacheri in Kannur on Friday.

Kannur: For the next seven months, kavus (sacred groves), households and shrines of north Malabar will resonate with the sound of ritual dance performed to the accompaniment of the `Chenda.'

Artistes, in their colourful costumes, awe-inspiring headgears and face designs will perform during the season.

The `Theyyam' season began on Friday — the tenth day of the Malayalam month of `Thula' and will last till the onset of the next monsoon. The ritual performances, vestiges of an ancient culture, will enliven the rural surroundings of Kannur and Kasaragod districts. It is a combination of dance, music and ritual.

Theyyam, a variant of the word `daivam' (god), still captivates the psyche of the people of the region as performers `transform' into deities and receive offerings from devotees. The sound of ritual dances accompanied by `thottams' (narrative songs) and drumbeats lends an awe-inspiring ambience. Kaliyattam, as the `Theyyam' festival is popularly known in this part of the region, is held with the intention of ushering in prosperity.

There are nearly 450 `Theyyams' representing various local deities and legendary and mythological characters. Some of the `Theyyams' have a distinct influence of the Muslim tradition of the region. Some `Theyyams' also depict Muslim figures such as Alichamundi, Bapirian and Ali.

Tender fronds of the coconut tree are used in making the costumes. A lot of effort goes into the facial paintings also.

"There is elegance in the attire of `Theyyam' performers and no two Theyyams are ever alike," says Srihari Nair who authored `Theyyam Charisma' to introduce the ritual performance to foreign tourists.

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