a few days with a  ghost                                                             

                                                                             

Chapter 8 

The theyyam

Theyyam is considered as an ancient tribal dance depicting god and goddess, prevalent in North Kerala. It has now taken different forms with much fanfare. It is an art form similar to Kathakali , Ottanthullal which are all fine art treasures  of Kerala. The Theyyam performer dresses almost similar to Kadhakali without chutti,( a form of colouring the face), but a crown resembling that of Kadhkali artist and a shield. This is performed in the night with traditional Nila vilakku ie temple lamp , chenda , traditional percussion instrument. Theyyam performer has to undergo penance in the form fasting, abstinence  etc and observe around 41 days penance.

 Theyyam , in those days,  was performed either in the Tharavdes or in front of dieties. The village people would be in a festive mood. To attend the Theyyam, people would purchase new dress and the oldies used to wear unique kerala dress , ladies would drape themselves  with traditional mundu and melmundu.  Malayalees especially Menon ladies are very goodlooking and fare in colour. The melmundu means a cloth draped around the waist and thrown over the left shoulder partially covering the breasts. As the left side is slightly open it will expose the waist line and one can easily have a glimpse of the naval. They used to wear all the gold jewelleries that are sufficient to be placed  in a jewellery shop. 

 Vadkkedathu and Thekkedathu always  had hatred in between them which existed from some generations back. This continued even though Ramettan had taken much effort to ameliorate the situation and cool down the inner fire. 

‘ this  time it is the turn of Thekkedathu to take the lead for the Theyyam’, some one commented from among the people who gathered in the tea shop.

The tea shop was the meeting point for the people whether it was a political discussion or about conducting temple festival. All in and around the Panchayat would have at least once visited the tea shop and had a tea and a quad or kadi ,which means something to munch probably it will be a hot parippu or dal vada. The dal is soaked and coarsely ground and mixed with chilli powder , coriander and salt and made like flattened cake and fried in coconut oil. A malayalee’s tea session would not be complete  with out this accompaniment.  

‘ chetta, oru chaya ividai, , 'one tea here' someone announced his presence. There was no quorum  like a company board meeting. As soon as one takes the lead the discussion would begin.

 This time it was about the Theyyam.

 ‘ Vadekkedathu people will never agree to that so easily. Now a days Menonettan is behaving like a bourgeois’. 

‘no, no he is a pucca communist, is not?

‘only lip service’

During the previous year the fight between the two tharavdes was brought to the street.

Menonettan was branded as RSS sympathiser. 

 Theyyam is  performed  mostly during the month of April-May and the main performer will be a dalit. The performer is considered to be representative of the God or the God itself. People used to touch the feet or prostrate before the Theyyam performer to get the blessings of the God. Here there is no distinction between big and small. poor and rich and upper cast and lower cast. Probably this would have been invented by the ancestors to make a point that all are equal and there is nothing like upper or lower and all are equal in the court of the God.

 ‘This is nothing new in this since Bhagavan Sree Krishna was a yadava king and Bhagavan Sri Ram belonged to Kshatriyas.  .. ‘ D’souza continued his lecture with Parvathi..

‘Are you taking classes on philosophy or literature’ Parvathy asked cynically.

‘no, no , philosophy is also a part of life’.

A few days with a ghost.                          Adv. Janardhanan venkiachalam

                                                                                                                     continues