‘Chechi, chaaay veno?’ (Sister, would you like some tea?), the make-up man enthusiastically offered me a share of his half-filled tumbler. I sat inside the ten-feet wide make-up room; basically just a thatched shed, and watched him paint the face of a performer who had slid off into a slumber and snored gently. Another man sitting outside, plaited garlands and jewellery from delicate palm fronds. Just after a month of visiting Palloor in Thalassery district of Kerala where I had witnessed my Theyyam of 39 Kuttichatans, I was back for more, but this time around, in rustic village called Kanhileri, to experience the most resplendent of all Theyyams, the ‘Muchilott Bhagavathi’.
It had taken me two weeks of unsuccessful attempts to get through to someone locally in this village who could help, until, finally, I chanced upon my host, Mr. Krishnakumar, who was kind enough to make room for a perfect stranger in his home. I got dropped off by an auto in the wee hours of a humid April morning. Breakfast comprised of a generous platter of puttu*, appams*, kadala-curry* and bananas, prepared by his affectionate mother. A bath in the cool water pulled from the well attached to the bathroom was instantly refreshing. I was immensely moved by the family’s hospitality; I later understood that I was the first tourist to have ever visited Kanhileri!
Kanhileri was quaint and peaceful, with just a bunch of houses that sat amid tall arcadia and rubber trees. I could hear the beat of the Chenddas* and the clangs of the Illathalams* from the Kaav (temple) which was at a stone-throw distance from Krishna’s home. The Kaav was small, yet impressive, with a tapering terracotta roof (typical of a temple in rural Kerala). A row of ethnic brass lamps with strings of vibrant yellow and orange marigold flowers hung from its rim. Food was being cooked adjacent to the temple in huge aluminium vessels, to be served as Prasadam* for lunch. In contrast to most temples in India that strictly serve only pure vegetarian food, this one had a non-vegetarian dish in the making. I sat under the huge blue tarpaulin canopy, sweating profusely. I juggled between gobbling on piping hot Sambar* rice and chit-chatting with curious women who eager to know about this first ever visitor to their village, that too a solo female! Within no time, I felt like I was part of one large family.
A quick introduction to Theyyam – Theyyam is a traditional form of worship, unique to the coastal (Malabar) region of Kerala. It’s origin can be traced back to the 13th century or perhaps, even earlier. Manakadan Veliya Gurukkal, the Aashrit (dependent) of the King, Kolathiri Raja, is believed to be the first tutor of Theyyam. Theyyam is a family run tradition that is passed on from one generation to the other. The performers are males who take up the roles of female deities too. The dances start with slow movements and gradually pace up with the rhythm. As the act progresses, the performers reach a state of trance. The dancers are considered to be divine incarnations of the deity they enact. At the end of each Theyyam, devotees seek their blessings and advices on their fortunes. Read more details here When ‘Gods’ Descend…
In my narration below, I have addressed the performers as “she” wherever the character played is female, to bring out the true essence of the Theyyam.
Puliyoor Kannan (Male)
By evening, Theyyam commenced with the Puliyoor Kannan, the character resembling a wild cat. As he danced with interrogative expressions, children gathered around him, nudging, teasing and screaming their heart out in his ears. As the cadence gained speed, the Puliyoor Kannan moved into trance, and encouraged the kids to scream louder and louder. To a normal person, this would have been enough to tear the eardrums apart! But the Kannan seemed to be unaffected by the hullabaloo and continued dancing in a frenzy till the drumming continued..
This was followed by Karanavar (Male), a king-like character wearing a fake beard that extended from ear to ear. A series of Vellattams* continued through the night, however, since most of the names sounded similar to what I had seen in Thalassery, I decided to skip them.
Narambil Bhagavathi (Female) : An overcast morning with intermittent showers provided a momentary relief from the unbearable humidity. A large bonfire was lit up in front of the Kaav. The Narambil Bhagavati paraded in poise, holding an iron machete and a brass shield. The metallic upper-body was of a bare-chested woman with yellow snakes around each bosom. The skirt made of stripped palm fronds had Mashaals* affixed to the front which were lit up as the Bhagavathi swirled and danced around the bonfire. After a while, she was taken to the rear of the Kaav where she slit the neck of a live hen (the act of Bali) and drank its blood. I watched from a distance as I just couldn’t gather enough guts to see the act up-close. This bird was later used in the meal as ‘prasadam’ for the day.
Kannangott Bhagavathi (Female) : As the bonfire reduced to charcoal, a pair of Kannangott Bhagavathis arrived. I noticed that size and innateness of the head gear kept increasing with each Theyyam. The performers stooped low and spun with speed to blow ash from the bonfire. The headgear acted as a fan, sending out clouds of ash in the air. Quite entertaining to watch!
Vishnumoorthy (Male):Vishnumoorthy was a stunt man whose straw skirt was secured to his chest rather than his waist, making his arms rest almost parallel to his chest at right angles. (Read through the tale behind this Theyyam in my previous blog). When ‘Gods’ Descend…
Muchilott Bhagavathi (Female) : By late noon, devotees gathered anxiously to witness the last but the most extravagant of all Theyyams. I was asked to hurry to the rear of the Kaav, where the goddess, hidden behind a white curtain held by a few priests, swayed gently to the slow-paced thump of the Chendda and the metallic timbre of the Illathalam. When the curtain finally dropped, I saw the first glimpse of the divine Muchilott Bhagavathi, soaked in crimson from head to toe. Opaque metallic eyes and a set of demon-like teeth shimmered through a fragile veil of delicate Ixora flowers that were strung carefully from her massive crown. Her box-shaped rectangular skirt and jewellery were equally intrinsic and elaborate. An exceptional personification of God infused with visual grandeur and powerful auras blew me off my feet! My eyes couldn’t look away from her charisma as I stood in front of her, weightless and speechless..
The Bhagavati took Pradakhsinaas* of the Kaav and sought blessings of the deity. With two fire torches in hand, she danced eternally under the blue tarpaulin to the drumming of the Chenddas and the pitter-patter of the heavy rain. She was then escorted to the temple well where she saw her reflection in the water for a quick second. The eye shield that was scalding due to the heat from the fire torch, was carefully detached. I could see steam coming off when cold water was dabbed on her eyes with a piece of cloth. The Bhagavati had danced relentlessly for hours, carrying along her costume that weighed no less than thirty kgs. The Theyyam concluded with devotees thronging to seek blessings of the incarnate ‘Muchilott Bhagavathi’.
Tell tales around Muchilott Bhagavathi :Of the many interesting stories behind the inception of Muchilott Bhagavati, one of it claims that the goddess emerged from the sweat of Lord Shiva while he performed the Taandav* The interesting one though is about the young and knowledgeable Brahmin girl, named Bhagavathi who lived in a village called Muchilott. Seems Bhagavathi had unmatched understanding of the Vedas*. The Gurus of the village tried hard to win over arguments with her, but failed. When they realised that they stood no chance of outsmarting her, they laid a trap by asking her two questions. ‘What was the most excruciating pain and what was the greatest pleasure in the world’. The innocent Bhagavati, out of here acute Vedic mastery, replied that it was labour pain and erotic pleasure. Alleging that an unmarried girl could not have this wisdom without experiencing it, the Gurus successfully expelled her from Muchilott on the grounds that she was not a virgin. Struck with grief, Bhagavathi immolated herself in fire. She insisted a young boy carrying a pot of oil to pour it on her despite his strong resistance. When the boy reached home, his pot was automatically refilled with oil and when he went to the well, he saw the refection of the same girl in it. Soon after, Lord Shiva sent her back to earth with godly powers and that’s how she was resurrected as Sri Muchilott Bhagavati, the goddess of knowledge and prosperity. When the villagers came to know of her reincarnation, they built a temple near the same well in Muchilott. (I presume that the act of the Bhagavathi seeing her reflection in the well during the Theyyam originated from this)
Glossary:
*Prasadam– a devotional offering made to a god, typically consisting of food that is later shared among devotees.
*Puttu (steamed rice cake) appams( steamed rice pancake, an equivalent of dosa) and kadala-curry (gravy made of black chickpeas usually served with puttu and appams). This is the most common breakfast in Kerala.
*Chenddas and Ilathalams – Traditional musical instruments of Kerala
*Kaav – temple
*Prasadam – religious offering, normally consumed by worshippers after worship
*Sambar- A tangy, thick soup like gravy made with Daal and vegetables, prepared in South India.
*Vellattam- Day 2 of worship with longer duration of dance performance. While day 1 comprises of vocal admiration and minimal dance-Natathira Orthottam. Main performances happen on day 3, namely Theyyam
*Mashaals – fire torches
*Pradakhsinaas- circumambulation
*Taandav-the dance of death, associated with Lord Shiva
*Vedas- Ancient manuscripts of Hinduism
Snippets
Theyyam, one of the most ancient and traditional form of worship, is unique to the Malabar region of Kerala. As it seeps into coastal Karnataka, it manifests itself as ‘Bhootakola’. Theyyam, I am told, is considered to be a form of Upasna or the attainment of God itself! There are close to 300 forms of Theyyams, that happen across North Kerala between December and April. Every Theyyam is unique in its own way since each has a story behind it. Having said that, Muchilott Bhagavati is the grandest in my opinion.
I have complied the below list of temples where you could see the Muchilott Bhagavathi. The dates given here might shift, year on year. All of these are typical villages and some might not have ever seen a tourist before. You are suggested to google up info and make your own plan. I prefer it that way than to team up with a tour agency who gives everything to you on a platter.
For Kanhileri, you may reach out to Mr. Krishnakumar. Write in to me for further info and I will be glad to assist you!
Epic like Apocalypto but Indian style. Wonderfully Written.
thank you for your kind words Zameer !!
Your wonderful writing style makes it so much closer to heart. Keep up the good work of spreading the knowledge. The pictures have come out gorgeous.
Yet another dose of motivation from you! Don’t know how to thank you much doc !!