DEVAKKOOTH THEYYAM (Lady Theyyam, Sthree Theyyam)
It is the only theyyam in North Kerala performed by a lady. Presently it is performed by Smt. Laxmi Amma from Madayi and she has already retired due to her old age after the 2010 performance. It is the right of the Vadakkan Kooran family to decide her successor. One who perform the theyyam has to follow certain customs as per the tradition. She has to under go forty one days fasting, dieting, observe vegetarianism and undergoing a kind of solitary life without mingling with local people. The people adores the deity with great expectations and believes that Goddess bless the people with prosperity, happiness, wealth and health, and eradicate fatal diseases from the locality. The performance usually witnessed by people from different walks of life like media, photographers, research scholars, anthropologists, and also the huge presence of foreign nationals give a devotional ambiance to the program.
The function starts with an attractive ceremony in which the lady is carried by a wooden boat from Ayiram Thengu Valluvan Kadavu to Thekkumbad Kadavu before two days of theyyam performance. She is then brought toward to the shrine with a colorful procession. It is called ‘Thalapoli’ in which the local people carry the different items like metal plates, divine books, special clothes, palm umbrella, oil lamp etc. For two days she will be staying in a temporary shed constructed near the shrine called “Koochil”, made by coconut leaves. There will not be any contact with outsiders. On the theyyam day only her close relatives like her husband or son will do the make up works. The make is comparatively simple with a face painting, a colorful head dress, breast plates, arm ornaments, bangles, garlands and cotton garments . The overall make up gives a ferocious image of a Goddess and she became a real embodiment of God, a person completely metamorphoses in to a Goddess which describes the ancient myth and legends. After the make up the drum start to beat outside her shed and all are eagerly waiting outside to receive the theyyam. Slowly she will come out with a curtain and move towards the temple precincts. The simple dance along with footsteps will starts along the with melodious songs of the theyyam artists which describes the myths and legends of the particular deity. After a few minutes another deity appears and he is ‘Naradan’ and both of them dance along with the drummers.MORE DETAILS PLS VISIT WWW.THEYYAMCALENDAR.COM
MORE DETAILS PLS VISIT WWW.THEYYAMCALENDAR.COM
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