Teyyam:
Behind its luxuriant coconut groves and paddy fields lies another Kerala, different and more private than what one might see from the main roads. The simple country people inhabit a traditional universe that is dominated by the gods; their lives are regulated by an almost incalculable number and variety of festivals and rituals that bring the human world into harmony with itself and the Divine. The most important of these rituals is teyyam, ‘the dance of the gods’.

In a teyyam performance, which may last all night, the divine force – most usually a god but sometimes an ancestor, great hero or serpent spirit – takes up temporary residence in the body of the dancer and acts through it. The particular blessing power of the possessing spirit is spread through the dancer’s body to the community of worshippers, while the whole gathering is held spellbound by the hypnotic rhythms of drums and oboes. This divine embodiment is celebrated with great pomp, precision and splendour. The costumes, make-up and masks are magnificent, while the headdress, the most important feature, can be up to six metres in height.

By communicating directly with their gods, Keralites have both their earthly and spiritual needs met. Teyyam may bless a childless couple with offspring, cure an illness, ensure a good harvest or drive away troublesome spirits. But the ritual also opens up a realm of magical possibility: supernatural phenomena sometimes appear – the dancer may display immunity to fire or the spectators, numbering a few hundred or many thousands, may see him appear in two places at once.

Teyyam is practised particularly in Malabar, at many shrines and temples throughout our area. We at Neeleshwar Hermitage are happy to be able to offer our guests a unique opportunity to participate in this astonishing sacred performance, in which art, religion, dance, and drama all combine to unite humankind with the Divine.