KASARGOD: Think of north Malabar and the rich visual of Theyyam flashes across the mind. The centuries-old ritualistic art form marks out Kasaragod and Kannur regions with its splash of colours, grandeur, folklore and divinity.
Between the Malayalam months of Thulam and Edavam, Theyyams like Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Kathivannoor Veeran, Vishnu Moorthy and Vettakkoru Makan descent on the Kavus, Kazhakams and temples dancing to the tunes of ballads. And people flock to watch the performances and receive blessings.
Theyyam artists, who belong to scheduled castes, perform for seven months and get through the whole year with the hard-earned money. Now, they are going through a crisis, thanks to the pandemic.
“I have been in this field for 22 years. Now, I sell fish and polish wood,” says Chandran (name changed) of Nileshwaram. A Theyyam artist selling fish reflects the gravity of the situation. Many have metamorphosed into construction workers, security men, car washers and painters to tide over the crisis.
“Last September, I sold fish in an autorickshaw at Nileshwaram and Puthukai areas. But as I stopped getting fresh fish, I had to shift to wood polishing,” elaborates Chandran, who belongs to the Velan community.
Many temples and Kavus had either shelved or postponed even Perumkaliyattam (the grand festival which happens once in 14, 25 or more years).
The Perumkaliyattam of Kappad Kazhakam in Payyannur did not happen last year while that of Muchilottu temple in Puthukai, scheduled for 2021, has been postponed. Artists say there are around 15,000 people who perform big and small Theyyams in Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
Babu Karnamoorthy, 41, a high-profile artist at Kalikkadavu near Cheruvathur, says the situation is grim. “It’s the second year we are sitting jobless. I used to have 100-150 performances in a season. It came down to 40 last year and only three so far this season. Though Theyyam can be performed now adhering to the Covid protocol, there is a strict ‘No’ to gatherings and blessing devotees, besides the shortening of rituals like Thozhuthu Varavu. What’s Theyyam without people? In effect, we are still in complete lockdown,” he says. Karnamoorthy is a revered status with only one person getting that title in a designated territory.
For Babu, who is from the Vannan community, his area ranges from Olavarapalam (near Payyannur) in the south to Udayamkunnu (near Nileshwaram) in the north. He has 15 men under him, all now doing other jobs, for the first time. But Karnamoorthy cannot do other jobs because of the weight of his title. “Karnamoorthy is a revered title bestowed by communities on whose divine spaces I have been performing. I received the title from my uncle Kannan Karnamoorthy. The title would be passed to men in a matrilineal way provided the performance is accepted by society,” he explains.
For the first time, Babu has had to default on his monthly vehicle loan repayment. “I bought a van on loan to carry head gear and other decorative items of Theyyam. It has now been defaulted for eight months,” he said. Sitting in his two-storey house, and tying and untying the head gear of Vairajathakan Theyyam, the anxiety of an uncertain future looms large on his face.
Battling depression
Another renowned artist, Suresh Babu Anjootaan, 58, of Nileshwaram says, until now, he has never faced such a harrowing experience.
“Day-to-day life itself is a challenge. Though the government has announced D2,000 to Theyyam artists, only a few have received it. Temples are also helping in any way they can. But these steps don’t come anywhere near our needs,” he laments.
Suresh, who has the revered title of Anjootaan, was a two-time member of Nileshwaram municipality on a CPM ticket. “The Malabar Devaswom Board could have done more for us, right?” he asks.
Anjootaan also points out the depression his fraternity is going through because of the separation from the temple premises and its ambience.
After every season, Theyyam artists go for one or two months of Ayurveda treatment to rejuvenate their body as long hours of non-stop performance wearing heavy costumes take a toll.
Sasidharan P, Kasaragod district secretary of the Mannan-Vannan Samudaya Sanghadana (MVSS), a community organisation of Theyyam artists, said though they had submitted several memorandums to the state government nothing substantial has materialised.
Know more
Around 15,000 Theyyam artists in Kannur and Kasaragod. Most are from Vannan, Velan, Koppalan and Mavilan communities
Theyyam season commences in Oct/Nov and concludes by May