Traditions, no matter how deeply rooted, are not immune to the passage of time. When Kartyayani from Tripunithura challenged social norms to become the first woman to perform Kathakali, where men once played even the female roles, it marked a significant turning point in history. A similar shift occurred when Kalamandalam Girija broke caste and gender barriers to become the first non-Nangiar woman to learn and perform Koodiyattam, an art form once reserved for a select few.
These moments of disruption challenged the weight of tradition and rewrote the rules of cultural participation. On July 26, yet another revolution was etched into history when RLV Aryadevi Thiyyadi, a painter and trained Kathakali artist, became the first woman to perform Ayyappan Theeyattu, an ancient ritual art form in Kerala, believed to be around a thousand years old.
As the daughter of renowned Ayyappan Thiyyattu artist Theeyadi Raman Nambiar, learning the traditional ritual art form came naturally to RLV Aryadevi. But stepping onto the stage as the first woman to perform was a real challenge.
“This art form was once confined to temple premises. Over time, many related art forms found space outside the temples, but theeyattu remained closed off, especially to women,” she recalls. Aryadevi traces her early exposure to the art back to her family’s ancestral home in Mulakunnathukavu, Thrissur, where her father and brothers actively practised and performed Ayyappan Theeyattu.
Later, when the family relocated to Kochi due to her father’s job, he began contemplating the future of the art. “He felt a responsibility to pass it on. That is when he started teaching it to the next generation. My brothers were also learning, and I would accompany them. I was just five or six when I began absorbing it without really thinking about the cultural restrictions. I just loved it and continued training for about 15 years,” says Aryadevi.
However, most of her classmates could not continue the practice due to career demands and geographical distances. “My father still wishes to pass on this tradition, but very few are left. Apart from him, only two or three others who are also his students remain actively committed to the art form. That is when I thought, Why not step in?” she smiles.
Women are making strides in every field today, she thought. “Even if I can’t perform this widely due to prevailing beliefs, I can certainly teach and preserve it,” she adds.
It was this decision, supported by her father, that led to a historic moment on July 26. Aryadevi performed Ayyappan Theeyattu alongside her father at the Saraswathi Vilasam School grounds as part of his 70th birthday celebrations. She presented Shankaramohanam - Shasta Avatharam Koothu, depicting the birth of Ayyappa.
On the colourful Kalam of Ashwavahana Shasta, surrounded by the sounds of invocations, she danced. The performance ended with the ceremonial wiping of the kalam.
One of the key reasons women were traditionally barred from performing Theeyattu was the Manasapooja, a ritual segment typically performed only by those who have undergone Upanayanam (the sacred thread ceremony). “My father found a solution. We translated pooja segments into mudra abhinaya. Another hurdle was the costume, which was originally designed for male performers. So we adapted the saree and ‘Uthareeyam’ from Koodiyattam, keeping the rest the same,” she explains.
The ritual art is traditionally performed by Ambalavasi communities in temples across central and northern Kerala, especially by Thiyyadi Nambiar families associated with Sastha temples in Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram. It integrates music (geetha), rhythm (vadya), dance (nritta), storytelling, painting, and symbolic gestures. It is believed to invoke Ayyappa’s blessings for offspring, wisdom, prosperity, and protection from misfortunes.
Aryadevi performed only the koothu portion during her arangetram, her father explains. “She knows how to perform other ritualistic elemets too. But more reformation is required for that, especially in costume,” he says.
Opposition was only natural when crossing the boundaries of a ritualistic tradition. However, if this practice is to survive for future generations, Aryadevi says, someone has to take it up, learn it, and pass it on.
“There were strong opinions even from close relatives. Some even cursed me. But I undertook this with full faith in the deity. Interestingly, many of those who opposed it have come around and now say it should have happened earlier. That gives me hope that more women will come forward,” she says.
Aryadevi is also a Kathakali artist. It started as private lessons out of pure interest and soon turned into something serious. She completed BA and MA in Kathakali Vesham from RLV College. Now, Aryadevi is one of the founders of Noumi Kalanikethan, a school that teaches traditional art forms to the next generation.
Some traditions survive because they resist change. Others survive because someone dares to change them. In bringing her body, voice, and spirit to Ayyappan Theeyattu, Aryadevi reminds us that the most enduring rituals are not those that stay untouched, but those that evolve with those who love them.