The Dance of the Divine
There is an explosion of colours with the awe inspiring headgears, costumes and face designs. The rhythm of the resonating beats of the chenda, the intense fragrance of the burning camphor mystifying the ambience. You stand agaped with saucer-wide eyes at the splendour of the dancing figure before you. These are the aspects that contribute to the grandeur of this spectacle called Theyyam.
A Theyyam performance is no single time experience. An ancient ritualistic form of worship native to the north Malabar region of Kerala, the roots of this folk art, which is a blend of dance, music and fervent devotion, can be traced back to the Chalcolithic Age.
It is believed that while performing, the artist becomes the representative of the divine. The word 'Theyyam' is local parlance for God. To millions in Kerala, Theyyam is their visible and tangible Gods and Goddesses. It is usually performed in shrines; sacred groves called kaavu or at ancestral homes called tharavadu in villages. The Theyyam season in Kerala usually commences in October and lasts up to May.
A Theyyam performance is no single time experience. An ancient ritualistic form of worship native to the north Malabar region of Kerala, the roots of this folk art, which is a blend of dance, music and fervent devotion, can be traced back to the Chalcolithic Age.
It is believed that while performing, the artist becomes the representative of the divine. The word 'Theyyam' is local parlance for God. To millions in Kerala, Theyyam is their visible and tangible Gods and Goddesses. It is usually performed in shrines; sacred groves called kaavu or at ancestral homes called tharavadu in villages. The Theyyam season in Kerala usually commences in October and lasts up to May.
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