A short article on rituals in your place
Theyyam is a ritual dance in North Kerala.It is known as thira in South Malabar .They are performed by male artists.They wear exotic make ups and colourful costumes.The headgear and other ornamental decorations are spectacular in sheer size and appearance.Each theyyaam will have a seperate make up and dress. Thudangal’ (the beginning) and ‘Thottam’ (the invocation) are the introductory rituals of the Theyyam.They take a lot of time to get ready with the make up and dress.Then there will be thottampattu to invoke the god/ goddess into the perfomer. The thottam(song in the beginning) will be chants based on the myth behind the evolution of the theyyam .There will be a lot of devotees around the theyyam offering prayer with their folded hands.After the thottam ,theyyam will start performing thullal ,a dance with loud shrieks , fast runs and brief pauses in front of the deity and around the temple.During the brief pauses the devotees swarm around the theyyam and offer their prayers and gifts .Theyyam would receive the amount offered as gifts, talk to the devotee on various issues and bless him/her a better future. This ritual will go on for many hours in front of the temple .Of the over 400 Theyyams performed, the most spectacular ones are those of Raktha Chamundi, Kari Chamundi, Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Wayanadu Kulaveni, Gulikan and Pottan. These are performed in front of shrines without stage or curtains, by persons belonging to the Vannan, Malayan and other related castes. Theyyam incorporates dance, mime and music and enshrines the rudiments of ancient tribal cultures which attached great importance to the worship of heroes and the spirits of ancestors. Karivalloor , Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Parassini, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in north Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed annually from December to April.
Theyyam is a ritual dance in North Kerala.It is known as thira in South Malabar .They are performed by male artists.They wear exotic make ups and colourful costumes.The headgear and other ornamental decorations are spectacular in sheer size and appearance.Each theyyaam will have a seperate make up and dress. Thudangal’ (the beginning) and ‘Thottam’ (the invocation) are the introductory rituals of the Theyyam.They take a lot of time to get ready with the make up and dress.Then there will be thottampattu to invoke the god/ goddess into the perfomer. The thottam(song in the beginning) will be chants based on the myth behind the evolution of the theyyam .There will be a lot of devotees around the theyyam offering prayer with their folded hands.After the thottam ,theyyam will start performing thullal ,a dance with loud shrieks , fast runs and brief pauses in front of the deity and around the temple.During the brief pauses the devotees swarm around the theyyam and offer their prayers and gifts .Theyyam would receive the amount offered as gifts, talk to the devotee on various issues and bless him/her a better future. This ritual will go on for many hours in front of the temple .Of the over 400 Theyyams performed, the most spectacular ones are those of Raktha Chamundi, Kari Chamundi, Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Wayanadu Kulaveni, Gulikan and Pottan. These are performed in front of shrines without stage or curtains, by persons belonging to the Vannan, Malayan and other related castes. Theyyam incorporates dance, mime and music and enshrines the rudiments of ancient tribal cultures which attached great importance to the worship of heroes and the spirits of ancestors. Karivalloor , Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Parassini, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in north Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed annually from December to April.
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