Theyyam
The Gods come down to Malabar
Behind its luxuriant coconut groves and paddy fields lies another Kerala where simple country people live in a traditional world ordered by rituals connecting them with the Divine. Most important of these is Theyyam: ‘the dance of the gods’.
The shamanistic spirit possession of Theyyam involves the whole community and is performed in special temples and compounds that are separate from the high caste temples.
The highly charged atmosphere and splendidly extravagant costumes and make-up that takes hours to apply combine with solemn music, hypnotic chanting and flickering oil lights to make this ritual something very special. This sacred ceremony is observed from October to April and is distinctive to Malabar. Our local guides will take you to the places to see Theyyam at its very best.
Theyyam
Theyyam is the trance-ritual unique to Malabar, the time when the Gods, Goddesses and ancestral heroes come down to earth to bless their devotees. The highly charged atmosphere and splendidly extravagant costumes and make-up that takes several hours to apply, combine with the solemn music, hypnotic chanting and flickering oil lights all to make this ritual something very special..
Reaching Us
Nearest Airport: Kannur, (daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Bangalore) then a 90 min transfer to the hotel in one of our cars.
Nearest Railway Station: Nileshwar, 6kms from the hotel.
From Bangalore: Distance by road is 360 kms, a 7/ 8 hour drive (including stops) through the breathtaking scenery of the Western Ghats, surrounded by gentle hillside slopes with tea and coffee gardens, spice plantations and virgin forests.
