By Kavya S & Jeba Janet D
Looking back at the different forms of traditional art forms in India, there are countless ones for different religions, regions, caste, and states. Many have evolved and taken the shape of new art forms. And there are others which can be seen in a few rural places or during temple festivals. Looking at the frequency of their performance and the knowledge of these artforms in gen z people. Only a limited number of people know about the different kinds of artforms and the knowledge of these artforms are limited to their place of origin. Folks from Thrissur, one of the districts in Kerala know more about pulikali and their history, than people from another district say Palakkad.
Theyyam is one of the art forms in Kannur, Kerala which is on the verge of extinction. Theyyam is a ritual art form of Hinduism that is nowhere to be seen nowadays. The performance can be seen very rarely in specific areas/temples. The meaning of the word theyyam is god. Theyyam can be seen mostly in malabar areas of Kerala. Artists who perform theyyam should be from a specific community or class. People from the community of Vannan and Malaya are the ones who perform theyyam. The reason behind people from these communities performing theyyam is because various communities and classes have particular vocations designated for them. And since people from vanna and malaya are characterised as people from backward class, they are the ones who perform the art form. “Social justice is maintained through this art form. That is when people from the backward class take the form of god and perform theyyam, they are respected and accepted by the upper class people also. In that way, people recognise backward class people as a form of god,” said Hemanth Kumar, a retired hindi school teacher in Kannur.
Photo credits : Shagil Kannur
Theyyam can be performed in many ways. They can be performed as a form of mirroring god, representing characters who take the form of theyyam in the traditional stories, and also by representing the people who once lived. 10-50 years back in Malabar aadi and vedan forms of theyyam were very popular. These are referred to as the smallest forms of theyyam. There are different forms of theyyam and each form of theyyam is linked to a story.
Photo credits : Sreeranj Sreedar
“Back in the times, aadi and vedan theyyam used to visit each and every house. There is a person in each area who has the rights for the aadi and vedan form of theyyam and they are called ‘Janmaari’. They are the only ones who could perform the aadi and vedan. Aadi and Vedan were performed by school going children and they would reach out to each house and bless the family members, which gives them a solace to their worries. When aadi and vedan come to visit, they are performed using a single drum which is played by the child’s father or uncle. Sometimes their mom will also accompany them. During their visit, the people in the house light a lamb and keep. The theyyam slowly in the shape of an oval performs in front of the house. There will be songs and they used to perform by singing the songs of the past. And bless every member of the house. In return people used to give them money, rice, grains, vegetables etc as an offering or donation to them. Nowadays those forms of theyyam are nowhere to be seen or are very rare. There are many reasons linked to these rare appearances. One is; aadi and vedan are performed in the malayalam month of “Karkidakam”. In olden days people used to call this month as the month of poverty. So in the month of poverty, in order to get rid of all the struggles, worries and health related issues, aadi and vedan used to reach out to each and every house and bless them. ‘Vedan’ means the god Shiva and ‘aadi’ means the goddess Parvathi. It is believed that during olden days in order to test Arjunan (one of the members of pandavas) Shiva and Parvathi took the form of aadi and vedan and came to earth and blessed him. It was these forms which were later turned into the form of theyyam. And they bless each and every house. The poverty of the people who perform these art forms is also eradicated when they accept rice and vegetables as a return gift.
Another reason for their rare appearance is that people who used to perform such art forms moved into other jobs because there is no struggles and poverty nowadays in the month of Karkidakam as it was before. Lastly, since aadi and vedan are performed by children, performing them nowadays would require childrens to take leave for 2-3 months. Which will eventually disrupt their studies. Parents nowadays don't encourage activities that come in between their studies and give priorities to education. Because of these reasons aadi and vedan became extinct,” said Kumar.
Photo credits : Sreeranj Sreedar
The costumes of theyyam are prepared from a place near the temple called aniyara. Aniyara can be a temporary place made during the preparation of theyyam or else it can be a permanent place. The artists who are taking the form of theyyam should fast. Where they won’t eat non-vegs and other specific food items. People who help prepare the artists with costumes and makeup should also fast. The colours which are used to make theyyam are locally sourced from nature. The green leaves, turmeric powder, inks, and rice powder are used. There are people who are experts in doing face paint for theyyam. The ornaments used for theyyam are called ‘aniyalangal’.
In Kannur district there is a theyyam called Makkapoori. This is a form of theyyam performed by Makkavum and Makkalum. This is performed by a group of three people. These forms of theyyam are addressed by the name of ‘Kadavanottu makkam’. The belief/story behind this form of theyyam is based on the women who lived by the name Makkam. “Makkam was a woman from Kunchimagalum house in the Payyanur area of Kannur district. She was the only sister for her brothers. These brothers didn't have children, they were manipulated by their wives into believing that if Makkam is married and if she had any children, then all the properties should be handed over to her children. Which will be a threat to their family if at all they had children. These brothers loved her fondly, but because of their wives, these brothers turned against her and rivalry grew between them. The anger in them grew as the year passed and Makkam had children. Scared of the ownership of these properties, the brothers planned to kill Makkam and her childrens. These brothers visited Makkam in her house and asked her and the children to come outside. They led them far from their house to a place called ‘Kayalodu’ near to a place now called Mambaram in Kannur. They deceived them by telling them that there were pearls and precious stones in the well nearby and while they were looking inside of the well, these brothers slit their throats and killed them. Before these brothers reached the house after the slaughter, the Kunchimagalum house was burned to ashes and the people who were a part of this killing were also burned and killed along with the house. It was believed that Makkam turned into a goddess and it is based on this belief that in Kannur district, in places called Chala, Kunchimangalam and in many other places the art form of Makkapothiyal or Makkavum Makkalum is performed,” said Kumar. People used to perform this theyyam as an offering.
Photo credits : Shyjith Kannur
While talking about the experience of watching theyyam in his olden days, Kumar said, “It was during our childhood days, where we could see theyyam a lot. But nowadays theyyam can’t be seen as much as they were during our childhood. In my experience of watching aadi and vedan is that in olden days the person of my age who used to play with us the day before, comes as god the next day. So when they come to visit us, we hide from our parents and elder ones and we try to make him laugh by showing actions and facial expressions. But the person performing theyyam shouldn’t laugh. So he won’t laugh and he will be giving a straight face. He will perform theyyam every year but when a person comes of age and becomes matured they will change the person into someone younger. And other forms of theyyam are performed in temples and we have to go there to watch the theyyam.”
Video credits: Youtube/Ethereal
When it comes to TamilNadu and their traditional art forms, one of the art forms which stand out more is Silambattam. Silambattam is one of the oldest traditional Indian martial art form. Silambu is referred to as the bamboo stick. The roots of Silambattam can be traced back to ancient Tamil literature and scriptures, where references to this martial art form can be found. It was originally developed as a means of self-defence by the people of the region who lived in challenging environments and needed to protect themselves from wild animals and marauding invaders. With the help of Silambattam one can defend 7-8 people. Over time, Silambattam evolved into an art form that incorporated intricate techniques with long staffs and flexible sticks, known as Silambu or Lathi. Earlier the artform which used as a means to protect themselves has evolved into a martial art form and also started to incorporate Silambattam into other art forms. The process of making Silambu goes through a lengthy process. “At first finding a bamboo stick is very hard these days. Some people import them illegally and some stick to the licensing permit. Another challenge is that, these days finding people who turn the bamboo stick into a Silambu is hard. First, the bamboo stick is cut into pieces of a specific length and heats the outer layer of the stick. Once that is done, they use a specific kind of an oil called Vilakkennai in Tamil to spread it throughout the lengths to soften the outer part which has turned hard due to the heat,” said Prabhakaran.
Photo credits : Lockerroom India
“I grew up watching my uncle and the neighbourhood people in my hometown playing Silambam everyday. All of them used to gather in one place early in the morning and practise together. Every saturday and sunday my dad used to take me to watch them practise Silambattam. My brother and all the other neighbourhood children also used to visit them during their practice sessions. Most of the time we were just spectators. When I was in my 4th grade, my dad made a stick for me and my brother. We were so excited to play that and while learning we used to hit each other and also hit ourselves with that. And that's how I learned Silambattam,” said Prabhakaran, guru and a Silambattam artist.
The tradition of practising Silambattam everyday in the morning hours eventually faded, as and when people started moving to other cities for their jobs. “At first we didn't feel any sort of emotions, but later on I felt that people in my hometown are starting to forget the martial art. That's when me and my fellow mate took a stand and started teaching Silambattam to the people who are interested in learning. In the initial phase there was less response and later on the engagement started to increase. In our hometown we have a major festival called Asanam. It's a huge event which lasts for one month. During the festival, we conduct many programs and games, in which we have a ritual called iyar varaverpu, where we will perform the martial art Silambattam and vaal vilichu to welcome the priest. During those times we used to give separate practice sessions for the people who are performing them,” said Prabhakaran.
Photo credits : Traditional Sports
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Silambattam both in India and abroad. Silambattam has been featured in many movies and cultural events. This revival has encouraged young practitioners to embrace and preserve this ancient art form.
Video credits: Youtube/Virtual Bharat
Silambattam, with its deep-rooted history and cultural significance, continues to captivate and inspire individuals. As a martial art that has evolved into a mesmerising performance art, it stands as a testament to the enduring traditions of India. Through personal experiences and the dedication of practitioners, Silambattam remains an integral part of the country's heritage, bridging the gap between the ancient and modern worlds.
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