www.vengara.com/theyyam/index.html provides you the best travel plan to experience theyyam ritual. We welcome you to the land of theyyam.

1. Theyyam Travel Guide
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theyyamritual@gmail.com

2. Theyyam
Theyyam is a popular Hindu ritual of
worship in North Kerala, India. As a
living cult with several thousand-year-
old traditions, rituals and customs, it
embraces almost all the castes and
classes of the Hindu religion in this
region. The term Theyyam is a corrupt
form of Daivam or God. People of these
districts consider Theyyam itself as a
God and they seek blessings from this
Theyyam. Theyyam performances
require ritualistic arrangements and
also the involvement of traditional
performing communities. Therefore, it
is considered as ritual performance, and
not as merely performing art. Theyyam
usually take place either within the area
of a small shrine or in the yard of an
ancestral house. The first stage of
almost all Theyam performances are
either a tottam pattu in which a
performer with simple costume and
minimal make up comes before the
shrine and recites the invocatory songs
or tales of the deity, or comes before
the shrine wearing a more elaborate
costume and make up as vellattam
which performs ritual dance. Some
Theyyam do not have tottam pattu as
its tale is confined to the invocatory
songs. But on the other hand some
Theyyam do have an elaborate tottam
pattu which lasts for several hours.
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3. Madayil Chamundi Theyyam
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4. Performance
After the singing of tottam
pattu and performing some
rituals, the performer
retires to prepare for the
actual Theyyam
performance, a process
beginning with the
application of intricate facial
make-up whose every line is
symbolic, and ending with
the donning of the
elaborate costume. The
most sacred part of the
costume, the headdress, is
put on before the shrine's
sanctum after which, as
drum beats, the performer
looks at his reflection in a
small hand-mirror. This is
one of Theyyam’s most
conceptually crucial and
intimate moments as what
he sees in the mirror is not
his own image, but of a
powerful divine being which
he represents.
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5. Rituals
The performer along
with the drummers
recites the particular
ritual song, which
describes the myths and
legends, of the deity of
the shrine or the folk
deity to be propitiated
(called “thottam”). This
is accompanied by the
playing of folk musical
instruments. After
finishing this primary
ritualistic part of the
invocation, the
performer appears as
theyyam with proper
make-up and costumes .
Thottam
The first part of the
theyyam performance is
usually known as
Vellattam or Thottam. It
is performed without
proper make-up or any
decorative costume.
Only a small, red
headdress is worn on
this occasion.
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6. Theyyam Costumes
The costumes of Theyyam are made out of cutting and
painting coconut sheaths in black, white and red patterns,
fresh coconut fronds form skirts, fashioning breasts out of dry
coconut shells and tying a red cloth around the waist. The
facial decorations are intricately designed with enriched
symbolism.
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7. Temple
The dance or invocation is generally performed in front of the
village Temple (Kavu). It is also performed in the houses as
ancestor-worship with elaborate rites and rituals. There is no
stage or curtain or other such arrangements for the
performance. The devotees would be standing or some of
them would be sitting on a sacred tree in front of the shrine
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8. Performers
Theyyam’ performers
belong to one of the
Hindu communities
(Malayan, Vannan,
Velan (Thuzhuvelan),
Koppalan, Mavilan,
Chingatthan, Panan,
Parayan,
Pampatharavan,
anhuttan, Munnuttan
etc.). Each individual
caste has the right to
perform certain
deities and all
performers must
poses a wide range of
extraordinary skills.
They must know the
ritual and character of
every deity.
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9. Customs
There are lots of related ritual
performance along with
theyyam performances. In
some occasions temple priest
(komaram / Velichappadu) will
jump through wooden pyre
just before theyyam
peformance starts..
Blessings
Just after initial performance,
theyyam starts blessing the
devotees. In this elevated state
theyyam assumes super human
and divine powers—speaking,
moving, blessing and even
healing as a god or goddess.
Man to God
After wearing the headdress
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.
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10. Theyyam Season
Theyyam season begins with end of October and ends in May month
next year. During these times, theyyam will be performed in more than
500 temples / kavus of Kannur and Kasargod districts. Theyyam will be
performed as a part of yearly temple festival or as a separate prayer by
a family or individuals . There are more than 450 types of theyyams,
most of them are closely related each other.
Theyyam Season
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11. How to reach
Nearest Airports
Calicut (Kozhikode) Airport
(Distance: 90 km to Kannur)
Mangalore Airport (Distance:
143 km to Kannur)
Cochin Airport (Distance: 291
km to Kannur)
Kannur
(theyyam
location)

12. Our Services
• We arrange to pick you from
Nearest Railway stations or Bus
stations of Kannur to
accommodations
• We provide homestay facilities Vehicle Services
near theyyam locations.
• We provide transportation to
reach different theyyam
locations.
• Our exclusive theyyam calendar
help to identify theyyam festival
locations where you can see
maximum number of theyyams Ordinary Homes
with shortest available time
• We connect you with homestays
and hotels in Kannur & Kasargod
districts .
• We provide guide services to
understand and experience
Homestay facilities
theyyam in depth.
• We help you to interact with
theyyam performers.
• We help you to reach other
tourist attractions in Kerala.
Guide services
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13. Homestay facilities
Homestay Bed room
Kitchen facilities Sit out
Beach access Extra room
 Special rate for theyyam visitors
 Easy access to Railway station & Bus stations
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14. Poomaruthan Theyyam
Photo by: Ted from Taiwan
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15. Thondachan Theyyam
Photo by: Rhea Fevero from Australia
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16. Muthappan Theyyam
Photo by: Anna from USA
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17. Kathivanurveeran Theyyam
Photo by: Giorgio from Italy
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18. Bhagavathy Theyyam
Sketch by: Benoit from France
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19. Madayil Chamundi Theyyam: the stages of transition from man to God
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20. Contact Information
In India (kannur)
Mobile: 00919847090077
E-mail: theyyamritual@gmail.com
Middle East
Mobile: 00971507941159 (Dubai)
E-mail: santhosh@vengara.com
Europe
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America
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Australia
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More information on theyyam: www.vengara.com/theyyam/index.html