Theyyam | 07 Mar 2022

Why in News?

Recently, Kerala Tourism department have started live streaming of an annual temple festival called Theyyam performances, to promote cultural tourism.

What is Theyyam?

  • Theyyam is a popular ritual form of dance worship in Kerala and Karnataka, India.
  • It consisted of thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs.
  • The people consider Theyyam itself as a channel to a god and they thus seek blessings from Theyyam.
  • Each Theyyam is a man or a woman who attained divine status by performing heroic deeds or by leading a virtuous life
  • Most Theyyams are believed to be the incarnations of Shiva or Shakti (the consort of Shiva). Or they have strong associations with these principal deities of Hinduism.
  • There are over 400 theyyams. Some of these are very important.

What are the major types of Theyyam?

  • Vishnumoorthi:
    • There are only two Vaishnava Theyyams – Daivatar and Vishnumoorthi.
    • These Theyyams are believed to be the incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
    • This Theyyam narrates the story of Palanthai Kannan who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.
  • Gulikan
    • Gulikan is believed to be an incarnation of Yama, the Hindu god of death and justice.
    • According to Indian mythology, Gulikan was one of the most important warriors of Lord Shiva.
  • Kuttichathan:
    • It is the theyyam of Bhrahmin caste.
    • Kuttichathan theyyam is considered to have originated for Lord Shiva in Vishnu Maaya.

Major Dances in India

PYQ

Q. Consider the following pairs: (2014)

  1. Garba : Gujarat
  2. Mohiniattam : Odisha
  3. Yakshagana : Karnataka

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly
matched?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)

Source: TH