ART AND CULTURE.

The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos

Theyyam festival is a colorful socioreligious dance form that is the amalgamation of rituals, vocal and instrumental music, dance, painting, and literature, and its genesis can be traced back to the coastal regions of the southern Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka.

The Theyyam consists of traditions, rituals and customs associated with the temples and sacred groves of Malabar. The people of the region regard Theyyam itself as a channel to a deity and thus seek blessings.

To date, average 456 types of Theyyam are documented.

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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
Theyyam Festival is a colorful socioreligious dance form that is the amalgamation of rituals, vocal and instrumental music, dance, painting, and literature, and its genesis can be traced back to the coastal regions of the southern Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka, in India. Theyyam consists of traditions, rituals, and customs associated with the temples and sacred groves of Malabar. The people of the region regard Theyyam itself as a channel to a deity and thus seek blessings. To date, some 456 types of Theyyam are documented.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
These photos were taken from the Theyyam Festival held at Somvarpet, on March 14, 2023. In this photo, a man dressed in the guise of the Hindu deity Agni Kandakarnan performs.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
A man dressed in the guise of the Hindu deity Bhagavathy performs the ritual.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
A man dressed in the guise of the Hindu deity Pottan lies on burning coal ashes while performing during the ritual dance festival Theyyam.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
A man dressed in the guise of the Hindu deity Karimkutty Sasthappan performs.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
A man dressed in the guise of the Hindu deity Bhagavathy performs.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
The Theyyam is typically performed by people belonging to castes and tribes such as Pulayar, Vannan, Malayan, Anhoottan, Munnoottan, Mavilan, Koppalan, Velan, Chingathan, Kalanaadi, Paravan, Nalikeyavar.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
The dance or invocation is generally performed in front of the village shrine. It is also performed in homes as ancestor worship with elaborate rites and rituals.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
There is no stage or curtain or other such arrangements for the performance. The devotees are standing or some of them are sitting on a sacred tree in front of the shrine. In short, it is an open theater. The performance of a particular deity, depending on its significance and hierarchy in the shrine, continues for 12 to 24 hours with intervals.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
A man dressed in the guise of the Hindu deity Kandakarnan performs.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
There are different models of face painting. Some of these patterns are called vairadelam, kattaram, kozhipuspam, kottumpurikam and prakkezhuthu. Primary and secondary colors are mostly applied with contrast for face painting. This helps creating a certain stylization in the dances.
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The Theyyam Festival of Somvarpet, festivals and dances between religion and culture: photos
A man dressed in the guise of Hindu deity Pottan performs during ritual dance Theyyam.
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