Tag Archives: Malabar coast

The Last Theyyam in Kannur

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The alarm goes off at three in the morning and I jump up quickly and quietly so I don’t wake up Gerald. He insists it is not early morning but the middle of the night, and has decided to forgo this last Theyyam ceremony before we leave Kannur.

Vineeth, my trusted rickshaw driver and guide is already waiting for me outside. I put my pink cloth carry bag on the seat and off we go.

What’s in my bag? A banana and some biscuits, my camera and telephoto lens, iPhone, and last but certainly not least, a handy water spray bottle which brings down my body temperature quickly when the steamy tropical heat threatens to break my resolve to remain any longer.

The temple I am going to today is only 17km away but it not a paved road so I have no idea how long the journey will take. I ask myself if I should try to sleep on the way and I lie down in a fetal position on the plastic padded bench seat in the rickshaw.That idea is quickly abandoned after the first few bumps.

Forty minutes later we arrive and Golikan, the first deity, is making his appearance. The priest motions for me to wait until the blessings for putting on the mask are finished before I take any photos.I have seen this deity at other temples but this performer is more engaged and active than the others, walking on stilts and leaping around the courtyard wildly.

This temple is an older one dedicated to Shiva, and there are small shrines with offerings of rice and coconut.

Quite a crowd has gathered by now and there is an informal men’s and women’s section for seating.

Beautiful traditional Keralan white silk saris banded with gold are worn by the older women, who have brass oil lamps which will be lit and blessed by the spectacular fire dancer deity who will be performing later.

After the first three Theyyam have finished their performance there is a break. Seated on small thrones in the courtyard the Theyyam bless the villagers as they line up. Meanwhile, a loud speaker is advertising services by companies who have sponsored this ceremony. and like all things in India, is at high volume.

An aura of anticipation and excitement is in the air as we await the entrance of Agni Kandakarnan, the son of Shiva.

I am seated directly in front of the temple so that I have a prime view of the entrance of each deity. Agni Kandakarnan arrives and the temple attendants place the eight poles, each with a torch at either end, around his young coconut leaf skirt. When they are lit there is an audible hush and then a gasp.

Each time Theyyam is performed, even if it is the same character, there is a sense of unpredictability. On this particular occasion it is both terrifying and playful. As the fiery Theyyam spins around, spreading balls of flames on the ground he is yelling angrily, running through the stands, stopping now and then to bless a man, woman or child. Then just as suddenly he leaps up to where a gaggle of young men are seated and grabs someone’s cell phone.

He runs around gleefully and mischievously displaying his prize, until he finally gives it to one of the drummers. The owner of the phone runs hurriedly to retrieve it.

By now the sun is rising and Vineeth has to bring his daughter to school and signals to me that it’s time to leave.

I arrive back at the guesthouse exhausted, exhilarated and unable to speak.

I will be forever grateful to my dear husband Gerald, who introduced me to India sixteen years ago. I could have never imagined what a profound impact it would make in my life.

Behind the Curtain/India Exposed

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You won’t be able to take photos or watch the make up preparation, but to see the Theyyam Bagavathi Muttilotu is an experience not to be missed. She is one of the most powerful goddesses and the performer cannot eat meat, drink alcohol or have sex for forty one days beforehand. She stays behind a curtain and doesn’t come out until ready to receive the headdress. For some people it is scary because she can be unpredictable and start yelling and gesturing aggressively.

Kurian, my Theyyam authority, and owner of Costa Malabari Guest House in Kannur, explained this to me in an earnest tone. I have been coming here ever since I was first exposed to Theyyam in 2014.

Theyyam is an ancient ritual practiced in the Malabar region of southern India and is performed exclusively by men who manifest the deities and goddesses while in a trance-like state. The ritual started out as a practice of the lower castes and later became absorbed into Hindu culture as a way of communicating directly with deities.

Malabar village shrines are dedicated to a particular deity and an annual ritual or festival is sponsored either by a family or the priests, and is open to the greater community at large.Theyyam season is between November and May. The more powerful Theyyam deities can attract thousands of worshippers to the ceremonies.

At nine in the morning we started out for the first village. It was later than usual because the ceremonies, which usually start at sunrise, had been going on all night. Plastic tarps were set up as booths , carnival style, to sell the various trinkets- plastic toys, balloons,bangles and other assorted useful objects which the attendees would inevitably buy. Bollywood music, interspersed with adverts for travel agencies, hair growth clinics and “fancy dress” shops, bellowed out of two loudspeakers positioned just outside the kavu ( sacred area around the shrine). It was early and we were among the first to arrive. I always like to have time for the villagers to become comfortable with our presence.

My flip flops, already muddied with the moist red dirt, and traces of the many people who had trampled over them, were placed outside the entrance to the shrine, and I hoped I would be able to find them again after the crowds stormed through. I attempted (vainly) to sparkle as much as the Rajasthani women and wore my best gold dangly earrings, bangles and mangal sutra ( Rajasthani marriage necklace).

Gerald and Richard had set their backpacks on the red plastic chairs in the front row to save the best seats. It wasn’t until later, when an old lady snarled at him did he realize they were in the women’s section, and had to move.

I immediately rushed over to the costume/make up preparation area. Each one of the eight deities that would be represented has a unique costume and intricate face painting design which can take hours to complete. After four hours in the tropical heat,watching the six drummers feverishly lead the deities into trance, and the mesmerizing dancing of the Theyyam, I was exhausted. We had seen four deities and there were four more getting ready. As the sun baked into my skin, even with the sensory overload of these rituals I knew that I absolutely had to go to the next village where Bhagavati would be the grand finale.

As we arrived at the next shrine- a much bigger venue with hundreds of people already milling about in the temple grounds, the anticipation was palpable. As in the other village we were the only non-Indians and were given a place of honor so that we could to see better.

An old man with bloodshot eyes- probably from too much toddy-approached me.

Bagavathi is a powerful goddess, coming soon. She will make you cry, I do.

I was anxious for the finale after waiting almost two hours .We had rushed to get there by 2 pm and my eyes were glued to the curtain covering the place where Bagavathi was preparing, waiting to see some movement that would indicate an appearance. The only food I had eaten was a packaged ice cream bought from a vendor. Although we were invited to share the feast that was prepared for the masses at each shrine, I had politely refrained from eating and drinking, knowing that the toilet facilities would be suspect. But there was no way that I would even think of leaving before seeing what I had come for.

A bonfire had been smoldering for hours. Suddenly the temple priests and attendants started running over the hot coals and encircling the shrine. A swell of women and men charged across the temple grounds to the corner where Bagavathi was ready to receive her headdress. I didn’t know whether I should join them or stay put in my prime viewing position. The women next to me kept on squeezing me in in order to make room for a badly misshapen young man, lying on a mat behind me. They pointed to a woman standing nearby who I assumed was his mother, and she motioned that she wanted him to be blessed when Bagavahti passed by. I knew if I left there would be no returning.

Fearful that if I stayed I might miss the action, I ran over, just in time to see Bagavathi, in brilliant red headdress and huge skirt,flaming torches in both hands. Worshippers were pushing and shoving to get close enough to pass their arms through the flames, a sign of receiving her blessings.

And then just like that it was all over.

The car was quiet on the way back to our guesthouse. A small window had been opened , exposing one of the many sides of Incredible India.

Bonfire of the Deities/Burning Man Kerala

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A bonfire is blazing as we arrive at the village at 4:30 am. The stage is being set for what will be the most spectacular Theyyam we have seen yet.  The Kavu, or sacred shrine,in the courtyard of a wealthy Keralan landowner, is the setting for a seldom seen fire dance.  The three day Pottan Theyyam he has ordered as a blessing for his family and their new home is an expensive undertaking, and I am thrilled that we will witness this event. Theyyam looks similar to the more famous Kathakali dance theater of Kerala, but it is a religious event rather than a performance for entertainment. These rituals take place once a year during the months of December through March.

As dawn begins to break on this second day of the ritual,the temple attendants, dressed in lunghis(wraps), throw in another log each time the fire seems to be dying down. Sparks are flying and I move some distance away so as not to have my carry bag catch fire.  We are with two other westerners, who have been staying at our guest house, Angela and Annette from the UK.

It is still dark and the sun will not start to peek through until 7:00 am. The four young drummers, who played so vigorously last night for two solid hours, are snuggled together sweetly in the spoon position, on a blue plastic tarp in the “green room” ( the sacred space for Theyyam preparation).

 


Enormous pots are boiling in the back area of the house where a festive meal is being prepared for the throngs of villagers  who will attend the ceremony.We are offered tea with a typical Keralan sweet, and an invitation to enter the house.

Theyyam performers traditionally receive money from each person who lines up to ask for a favor or prayer, or  to thank the gods for wishes fulfilled. Last night two men personifed different aspects of the deity,Golikan.  Today there will be four deities,including the famous Vishnumoorthi  who will perform the fire dance.

The first dancer comes out with a  20 foot headdress made out of banana leaves in the shape of a ladder.  He is wearing a large clown like mask painted a brilliant silver,red and black. First he blesses the shrine, then he encircles the Kavu,with the drummers leading the way. After an hour of dancing which includes highly skillful stilt-walking and recounting his story, he is seated on a type of throne, with his headdress resting against the wall.  Next comes a Theyyam with an elaborate red hemispheric shaped headdress bordered with peacock feather designs,a mask with large ear flaps and mouth,and  a skirt created over a rectangular frame.   I remind  both Annette and Gerald to make sure not to forget to stand when the deity passes by (a sign of respect).  The night before, Gerald was so engrossed in his drawing that he didn’t notice that Golikan was right in front of him, remained seated, and an angry deity glared and threw rice in his face.  The same with Annette who was so in awe of seeing Theyyam for the first time, that she,too,didn’t get up. She got the stink eye.


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Meanwhile the fire has been smoldering and the attendants make a neat pile of the burning hot coals, getting ready for the arrival of Krishnamurthi who will lay down on the ashes.  His mask has been resting in the house after having been blessed, surrounded by ghee lamps burning all night. Both the first and second deity are now seated, receiving villagers and talking with each one individually. The tension mounts as the drummers continue their fierce drumming, jumping in unison high into the air from time to time.  I can’t imagine how they can keep this up- it is now 10:30 in the morning and they have been going at it since 4.



Krishnamurthi arrives in a grass skirt made out of young banana leaves, heavy metal ankle and arm bracelets, and a mask. When the moment arrives, he is led to the burning coals by the temple attendants, one on each arm.  I think it will be quick, but no, I am wrong.  After a bit of positioning, he lies down, crosses his legs, and makes himself comfortable.  Each of the other two deities approach, bend down and have a few words with him.  Then, suddenly he jumps up, changes direction, and lies back down.  This is repeated in all four directions.  The intensity of this Theyyam requires the performer to prepare for forty one days. Complete abstinence from sex,alcohol,tobacco and meat. His mind and body must be sharp and focused.


Preparation for the final dancer reveals a completely different facial design- with orange colored turmeric paste and black charcoal around the eyes. An intricate pattern, called “face writing” is drawn with a brush made from banana leaf. Only his head and arms stick out of a huge grass skirt. Red cloth bands are on his forearms and silver bracelets on his wrists.


The climax arrives with all four Theyyam interacting and dancing around the courtyard.  By this time it is noon and the sun is beating down on us until we feel like we will collapse.  It reminds us that although our minds and spirits have been transported  to an alternate reality, our bodies are still very much in the tropics of the Malabar coast. Hundreds of villagers are mulling about, eating, drinking tea, talking on their cell phones or standing and taking close up photos. We are treated as honored guests due to my blond hair, and Gerald’s size.  Chairs are set up for us directly in front of the action to ensure the best photos, and we are made to feel included at all times.  The women beckon to me to come on the steps of the home in order to get a better view, and push me almost directly into the path of Vishnumurthi as he enters to bless their home.

I am sad to leave tomorrow, but we are heading north to Ahmedabad where we will start our teaching at Gandhi’s ashram. The Theyyam has left an indelible mark on my psyche which I can never forget. And I will carry the vivid red of their costumes and the pulsating rhythms of the drums with me throughout the rest of the journey through India.