Iti-Punoscho

Ever since I read William Dalrymple's "Nine Lives: In search of the Sacred in Modern India", I have been fascinated by one of the nine events he experienced- the Theyyam in Kerala. The more I studied about this custom in "Google University", the more I was fascinated and wanted to experience it myself. This fitted perfectly with my new-found love of religious and festival tourism. My agenda is similar to Dalrymple's- experience the event as an observer without being judgemental, have some opportunity for photographic documentation, and come back with enough material to write a blog on it. So, when I had a reason to be in Bangalore in February, I decided to add a weekend and go up to northern Kerala see Theyyam. I researched extensively and found help from unexpected quarters. That set me up for a lifetime opportunity to experience Theyyam- well, almost. Read on.

What is Theyyam:
Theyyam is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, predominant in the Kasargod and Kannur Districts, and parts of Wayanad and Kozhikode. It is a living Dravidian cult with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. The performers of Theyyam belong to the indigenous tribal community. The ruling landlord communities like the Nambiars were patrons of Theyyam. This is unique, since only in Kerala, do both the upper-caste Brahmins and lower-caste tribals share an important position in a major form of worship. The term Theyyam is a corrupt form of Devam or God. Different branches of mainstream Hindu religion such as Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Shaivism now dominate the cult of Theyyam. Two major Theyyam deities of Vaishnavism are Vishnumoorthi and Daivathar. All other categories of Theyyam deities can be classified under Shaivism or Shaktism. The Goddesses like Rakteshwari, Chamundi, Someshwari, Kurathi, and the Gods like Vishnumoorthi are propitiated in sacred groves & house-hold shrines, locally called "kavu". The performance takes place in an open theatre. A performance of a particular deity according to its significance and hierarchy in the shrine continues for 12 to 24 hours with intervals. The chief dancer who plays and personifies the deity of the shrine has to reside in the rituals and is generally called ‘Kolam’. The performance is always preceded by preliminary rituals. After this the performer will retire to a temporary structure to be made up and costumed. When the moment comes, he will enter the shrine to complete the ancient and complex process that has already begun edging him out into an extraordinary otherness. The most sacred and powerful element of the costume, the mudi or headdress, is put on once the artist has been seated on a sacred stool in front of the sanctum. After this comes the actual moment of "becoming" the deity, the moment of crossing the line, as he stares into a small hand-held mirror. It is at this point that, almost imperceptibly, he slips into another state of being, his eyes widening as they focus not on his own reflection, but on the enigmatic features of a divine being. This is the moment of fusion, the defining moment known as "mukhadarshanam", or the seeing of the face. It is the moment when a mortal becomes a god. In the background, folk musical instruments like chenda, tuti, kuzhal and veekni are played in a certain rhythm. All the dancers take a shield and kadthala (sword) in their hands as continuation of the cult of weapons. Then the dancer circumambulates the shrine, runs in the courtyard and continues dancing there. The Theyyam dance has different steps known as Kalaasams. Each Kalaasam is repeated systematically from the first to the eighth step of footwork. There are different patterns of face-painting. Mostly primary and secondary colours are applied with contrast for face painting. It helps in effecting certain stylization in the dances. A performance is a combination of playing of musical instruments, vocal recitations, dance, and peculiar makeup and costumes. The stage-practices of Theyyam and its ritualistic observations make it one of the most fascinating theatrical arts of India- text quoted from Wikipedia & http://www.vengara.com/

Some Theyyams use nearly 50 or 60 feet high long crowns or Mutis made out of arecanut tree and bamboo splices. These crowns are supported by long bamboos which are held by several helpers to keep the balance when placed upon the head of the player. The Thottam or the song related to the particular Theyyam deity is recited by the player and by the singers in the background. Of over 400 varieties of Theyyam performed, the most prominent one are those of Raktha Chamundi, Kari Chamundi, Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Wayanadu Kulaveni, Gulikan and Pottan- http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/kerala/performing-arts/theyyam.html

Karimchamundi Theyyam is one very rare Theyyam because of its scary nature. It is performed in the regions of Perumba river. Earlier the Theyyam festival of Karim Chamundi required the sacrifice of a goat. Now this Theyyam performance has an act of killing chickens by biting in the neck and plucking off the head and throwing it in the air. With dark coloured face paintings the Theyyam performed at midnight is frightening. Women and children are not permitted to watch the Karim Chamundi Theyyam. Two Karim Chamundi Theyyams which I could identify this year are as follows:
Start: January 27, 2011
Venue: Azheekode Elamkarumakan Kshethram, Azheekode, Kannur
Start: January 22, 2011; End: January 26, 2011
Venue: Myladathadam Elangarumakan Kshethrolsavam, Azheekode, Kannur

My destination for Theyyam was Kannur (or Cannanore) and my base camp for Theyyam visit plan was Bangalore, so I will give details which I worked out for my trip, hoping that it benefits others who might want to witness this great event in the next season (Jan-March) or beyond.

Location of Kannur: Kannur is on the National Highway 17 (NH-17) connecting Kochi and Mumbai. Two airports- one at Mangalore in the north and one at Kozhikode (Calicut) in the south — are about 100 kilometres away from Kannur. Road distance of Kannur from Bangalore is about 340 km and from Chennai it is about 600 km.

Transportation alternatives from Bangalore to Kannur, apart from driving down, are as below:
1) Trains- 16527/16528 Cannanore Express from/to Yesvantpur station (I booked on this, easier to get tickets) & 16517/16518 Kannur Express (from/to Bangalore SBC). Takes between 13-15 hrs (rail distance much longer than road), but both are overnight trains departing between 8 & 9 pm.

2) Buses:
Karnataka SRTC Buses (Rajhansa- non-Volvo): http://ksrtc.in/; departing from Bangalore Bus Depot; journey time 9-10 hrs
Contact: KSRTC Majestic- 080-2226 9508; KSRTC Satellite- 080-2675 6666

Kerala Road Transport Corporation- Buses leave from Satellite Bus Staion in Mysore Road, Bangalore; arrive at Majestic/Bangalore SBC Railway Station. Advance booking counter at Majestic Bus Staion- the online booking does not seem to work: http://www.keralartc.com/
Kerala SRTC: Control Room: Landline- 0471-2463799; Cell: 9447071021
Kerala SRTC- Kannur: 0471-2463799; 094470 71021

Bus fares: Rs. 250-350/-

Stay Options:
1) Malabar Residency (http://www.malabarresidency.in/)- (this is where I booked)
Thavakkara Road, Kannur-670 001, Kerala, S. India
Ph: (91) 0497 - 2765456, 2701654, 2701655; Fax: (91) 0497 – 2765456
E - mail: malabarresidency2004@yahoo.co.in
Contact: Shaji, Room Division Manager (094970 41118)
Rate: Rs. 1200 +12.5% tax – 10% discount = Rs. 1215/night for standard room (Feb 2011)
2) Ganga Residency- http://www.gangaresidency.com/ (my travel advisor suggested this)

Near Talikkavu Temple, Kannur 6700001. 300 meters from station, 200 meters from Bus stand. Tel: 095266 08951/0497 2712079; Email: gangaresidency@in.com Charges Rs. 900-1200 per night (Feb 2011). Staion pickup available.
3)Pranav Beach Resort- http://www.pranavbeachresort.in/ (read about this in a blog)

Beach Road, Palliyanmoola, Alavil, Kannur 670008. Tel: 0497 3207926/2741148; 09387478285; Email: pranavbeach@rediffmail.com; Contact: Mr. N.P. Venugopalan; “We have non-airconditioned independent cottages in the tariff range of Rs.800/- to Rs.1000/- per day and air-conditioned cottages for Rs.1600/- per day.”- Feb 2011]

Theyyam Options:
Full calender of different Theyyam performances available at the following websites:
http://www.theyyamcalendar.com/
http://www.theyyam.org/pages/newsdesk/10000theyyamcal04.asp
http://www.kaliyattam.com/theyyam.php
http://www.vengara.com/theyyam/theyyamcalendar.htm

These websites also have some great pictures of Theyyam performances. Note that Theyyam dates change every year.

Some great Theyyam videos with narration: http://wn.com/kannur_theyam

The Theyyam that I planned on visiting: Mykeel Sri Karimkuttysasthan Temple, Pulimparamba, Taliparamba, Kannur (http://www.mykeel.in/)- 22 kms from Kannur. This was provided to me by the most helpful and passionate person dedicated in promoting Theyyam- Santhosh, and his group of friends- who developed the site: www.vengara.com in their effort to promote Theyyam in a selfless way. I remain indebted to him for helping me out with my travel plans and giving me full support and confidence all the way. Thank you- stranger friend!

Now, if you are wondering why I have not used any pictures but indulging in this "textual atyachar" through a long-winding travel research on Theyyam, the reason is I pulled out of the trip at the last moment. Mat pucho kyu. I didn't go. But, I will. Sometime soon. Iti-Punoscho :-)

Till then, if you are interested, keep researching with me and imagining yourself to have transcended in the middle of a pre-Vedic ritual at midnight where a dancer with elaborate make-up and costume believes that he is "God" for that time and enacts a complete mythological episode for hours with frenzied energy, repeatedly dives in to smoundering ember in complete oblivion of the world around him. That person, in a week, will go back to his daily chores- maybe as an agricultural labor or restaurant waiter or jail warden, as in the case of Hari Das- one of the most famous exponents of Theyyam and central character in Dalrymple's episode on the subject. I end by quoting him about the experience of Theyyam from his interview with the Outlook magazine in October 2009: "I always get very tense, even though I have been doing this for 26 years now. It’s not that I am nervous of the god coming. It’s more the fear that he might refuse to come. It’s the intensity of your devotion that determines the intensity of the possession. If you lose your feeling of devotion, if it even once becomes routine or unthinking, the gods may stop coming...It’s like a blinding light...When the drums are playing and your make-up is finished, they hand you a mirror and you look at your face transformed into that of a god. Then it comes. It’s as if there is a sudden explosion of light. A vista of complete brilliance opens up—it blinds the senses...That light stays with you all the way during the performance. You become the deity. You lose all fear. Even your voice changes. The god comes alive and takes over. You are just the vehicle, the medium. In the trance, it is god who speaks, and all the acts are the acts of the god—feeling, thinking, speaking. The dancer is an ordinary man—but this being is divine. Only when the head-dress is removed does it end...Suddenly it’s all over, it’s gone. You don’t have any access to what happened during the possession or the performance. You can’t remember anything that happened in the trance. All there is, is a sensation of relief, as if you’ve offloaded something”