THEYYAMS – THE UNIQUE FOLK ART OF DEMIGODS FROM GOD’S OWN COUNTRY

THEYYAMS in all their GLORY

Rishabh Shetty’s popular film KANTARA piqued the nation’s interest in Panchurli and Demigods, making it easier to talk about centuries-old folk art rituals from Kannur, North Kerala – ‘THEYYAMS.’

Witnessing this unique cultural/religious event of Devasthanam (family temples) and Demigods with elaborate facial makeup, labyrinthine costumes, and mind-numbing headgears with an added spiritual angle can be a surreal experience.

After a huge gap of four years, (thanks to the  COVID Virus that refused to leave us mortals), my large extended THEEYARETH family, last week, celebrated our biennial temple ritual nonstop for three days with great fervor. An ardent fan of our tradition and culture, I happily stayed awake through those three days to observe, understand, and assimilate these solemn rituals as much as possible. 

Reminding of the times when our giant joint families existed in harmony and enjoyed every event together, the now nuclear families across the globe got together and joined hands to celebrate and pay reverence to our demigods through this exceptional art form. 

At our family temple, we have five demigods as our deities led by none other than Panchuruli Amma – it’s believed that Panjurli is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu who took the form of Varaha (Wild Boar), killed Hiranyaksha, and saved the earth.

During those three days, a total of thirty theyyams aced their acts at our temple. Each theyyam has a story to tell about his/her origin, and in a prequel, the story is recited through folksongs. The drummers combine as musicians here. The frenzy created by young, educated, extremely proficient drummers, other musicians, and the swaying/dancing performers is infectious. I, for one, was enjoying, revering, catching up, and trying to transfer a few glimpses onto the camera – all at the same time. 

From childhood, I enjoyed these rituals but with no understanding, and even now, I’m still trying to comprehend the strenuous efforts, stressful training, mythology, and rituals behind each theyyam. The current/younger generation of performers has vigor, vitality, and unrelenting belief in the Omnipotent. These young men whom we would not otherwise recognize, turn powerful once they drape in elaborate costumes representing the demigod, and we all stand in reverence watching them,  listening to their soothsaying, and seeking their blessings. 

There are lessons to learn here:

1. Forgotten Caste Divide For centuries, men from lower castes ‘Malaya,’ and ‘Vannan,’ (who now belong to Scheduled Caste) have been holding exclusive rights over this art, and it’s passed on from fathers to sons or uncles to nephews. It was paradoxical that during the days of untouchability, these low-caste men who would otherwise bend low or move out of the way when sighted by the ruling elite, would bless men and women from the upper caste once they are in ‘FORM‘. Now, it is the turn of these upper caste men to bow in front of these Demigod Representatives, eagerly listening to their Oracle and seeking their blessings. 

2. Gender Equality: Though the performers are all male members and the men in our family are given preference over women during the rituals, women are not ignored. Rather, they are revered by every theyyam. Prior to starting the ceremony, each theyyam seeks the blessings of a senior woman from the family.  At a specially erected part of the temple,  the lady throws rice grains over the theyyam and blesses HIM! Only a matrilineal family could think of such special ways of elevating the status of the woman.  Yet again, 60% of the theyyams represent women demigods! Gender Equality/Women Power from Centuries!

3. Spiritual Upliftment: The entire celebration was a spiritually uplifting experience for me where ordinary men, once adorned by special attire, perform humanly impossible feats. Playing with fire or sword,  swaying and cartwheeling to the accompanying frenzied drumbeats, balancing a massive headgear for hours at a stretch – they do it all with utmost ease. No doubt, they are blessed by the Omnipresent to come out unscathed.

For Believers- it’s witnessing the power of the UNSEEN.

For Non-believers – it’s equally enchanting as a unique ritual that retains all its century-old traditions.

Either way, these breathtaking events are to be seen and cherished. 

Sharing video glimpses, if not visible, please double click on each image below:

Kantara Famous Panchuruli

Thottinkara Bhagavathi (The Goddess from Riverside)

Padaveeran (The Demogod, who is an expert fighter)

Thai Pradevatha – The Supreme Goddess Bhadrakali