Muchilottu Bhagavathi is a Theyyam goddess of the Vāṇiya community of north Kerala. Her myth is one of domestic tragedy transformed into divinity: a Brahmin maiden wrongly accused of infidelity who immolated herself and was reborn as the goddess. Theyyam (from teyyam = deyvam, god) is a living possession-ritual unique to north Kerala and bordering Tulu Nadu. During the Theyyam performance (October–May), the spirit of the deity descends into a consecrated performer who dons elaborate makeup (
Deities
