December 13

The sound of the waves crashing on the shore lulls me to sleep, but it is a fitful sleep. I am anxious for the day to begin, and wake up before the 3:00 am alarm.

We are in Kannur, six hours up the Malabar Coast from Kochin, and known for Theyyam ritual. It is performed during the annual festival of village temples in the region. Dancers who become “possessed” by a particular deity go into a trance and take on their persona. Once the deity has entered the body of the Theyyam dancer, the priest and the temple are blessed, thus purifying it for the coming year. This ritual is important for the spiritual and physical well being of the community, and the whole village pays for the temple and its maintenance

Theyyam is a unique supernatural event which allows villagers to have direct personal contact with a deity. It is interesting that only the “Untouchable ” caste is permitted to perform this ritual. Training starts at an early age,and is passed down through the male line in the family.

The ritual requires enormous physical and mental stamina. Elaborate headdresses can be over thirty feet tall, makeup can take from three to four hours to apply and metal anklets weighing two to three pounds each, are worn.

We arrive at 4:30 am and everyone is fast asleep in the courtyard surrounding the temple, where the ceremony will take place. There is a tent structure set up- called “the green room”,considered a sacred space for the dancers to prepare themselves. I peek in and one of the performers, with face make-up,is snoring loudly.

After thirty minutes the frenzy of preparation begins. There are to be three deities manifested today and two are goddesses. The drumming begins and out comes a fierce looking Pullurkali (Kali),with an enormous headdress sporting sixteen flaming torches and four more are hanging from the grass waistband of her skirt. Dancing starts off slowly with drummers and dancer encircling the two shrines. The face has metal fangs on each side, which look terrifying, and I find myself recoiling when “she” gets too close. The ritual goes on for about one hour and at the end, villagers line up to talk with the deities, ask questions and get blessed.

Very few villagers have come at such an early hour, yet the air feels charged with energy.

We arrive at the next village at 5:00 pm (rituals start at sunrise and sunset), just in time for an unseasonal monsoon downpour.

When the rain ends twenty minutes later, the temple attendants clean out the water that has accumulated in the courtyard, with thick burlap bags. Many more villagers are here for this ritual then were this morning, and the mood is quite festive. An ice cream truck has arrived and parks on the temple grounds. Women and children are dressed in their finest clothes.

Tonight the deities are Ilamkaruvam (Vishnu), and Poothadi (Shiva).The dancing is more vigorous with both dancers battling each other with bow and arrows and sticks. Body make up is applied as well as on the face.

Turmeric, rice paste and lime are mixed to make the colors, and the paint is applied with a coconut palm reed as a brush.

The next morning we go to a simple roadside temple and it is the most personal. Watching the villagers line up to speak to the “gods” with such earnest expressions is an awe inspiring experience.

Tonight is our last ritual in yet another village. Lights are strung up around the temple grounds and garlands of marigolds hang from the buildings. It is obvious by the level of decoration that this is a wealthier community. We are offered food and snacks and told they are expecting five hundred people. Tomorrow is the climax of the three day ritual, but unfortunately we have to go back to Kochin.

A line of villagers forms on both sides of the seated deity, asking for blessings and advice, men on one side women on the other. Meanwhile, Golikan,(another deity)with long,black hair flying around, appears, held upright by an attendant on each arm. Immediately he starts dancing in front of the fire of burning branches- spinning and yelling. He moves so quickly it is hard to keep him in sight. I am mesmerized.

We are warmly welcomed to participate,  people wanting us to come back for the big twenty four hour finale. Of all the things I have experienced in my life so far, this has to be one of the most spectacular and fascinating.

Incredible India!