Theyyam also known as Kaaliyattam, it is a ritual dance popular in
north Kerala or the erstwhile Kolathunadu. 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. 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, sans stage or curtains, by persons belonging to the Vannan,
Malayan and other related castes.
'Thudangal' (the beginning) and 'Thottam' (the invocation) are the
introductory rituals of the Theyyam or the Thira, as it is known in
south Malabar. The headgear and other ornamental decorations are spectacular
in sheer size and appearance. 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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