Theyyam : Indian Folk Ritual Theatre

Theyyam is a colourful ritualistic folk-art tradition of India, originating in the northern districts of Kerala. The performers are daily-wage labourers struggling to eke out an existence; and yet, when they perform at the estate of their masters, the latter bow before them with folded hands.

The alluring facial-body drawings with intricate and subtle nuances and the colourful paraphernalia, including various headgears in different shapes, are endlessly fascinating. The unpolished rhythm of Theyyam enhances its appeal. Concepts such as Mother, Nature, Fertility and Agriculture, Spirit and Ghost, Animal, Reptile and Warrior, among others, are worshipped as Theyyam which refers to both the form and the performance. Most Theyyams are women worshipped as Mother Goddesses and any devotee, irrespective of religion or caste, can interact with this goddess without the help of intermediaries such as priests.

Art scholar and photographer K.K. Gopalakrishnan has captured Theyyam in its myriad facets, with a variety of stunning photographs, from the insightful perspective of an insider.