Theyyam — 400-form ritual performance

Hindu / Folk / Malabari - Location: Kannur / Kasaragod regions, Kannur, Kerala (11.8745°N, 75.3704°E) Theyyam is the most distinctive ritual tradition of North Kerala (Kannur, Kasaragod). A theyyam is a ritually-prepared, elaborately-costumed dancer who, through the ritual, becomes a deity (an ancestor, a hero, a clan-god). ~400 distinct Theyyam-forms exist, each with its own costume, music, ritual gestures, and geographic territory. The performer (traditionally from the **Malaya