Year: 2010

An Introduction to the Theyyam – A Ritual Art

Posted on by Rajesh Odayanchal


Theyyam and Thira are among the most important of the rural performance rituals. The specialty of Theyyam is that their very guise is taken as godly. Thira, however, is a human impersonation of god to appease the latter. Thira prioritizes ‘dance’, whereas Theyyam gives predominance to the specific make-up. Etymologically, ‘Theyyam’ has its origin in ‘Daivam’ (god). This ritual is extant in parts of Kasargod, Kannur, some areas in Kozhikode and Coorg in Karnataka. The art-form worships Gods and Goddesses, Nymphs and Fairies, Spirits, long-dead ancestors, snakes, valiant men, and the iconoclasts who fought for societal reforms. There are also a large number of Mappila (muslim) Theyyams and Amma Theyyam, that enunciate the principle of religious tolerance.

തെയ്യവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടവ

Tender palm-leaves are crucial in the special get-up of a Theyyam. The facial make-up is also executed by indigenous products like tender leaves, natural black ink, turmeric powder and rice flour. Some Theyyams, in addition, use masks made of areca nut leaves, and twigs. Silk dress with creases, belled ropes, a shield to stuck to the forehead, an armor for the torso, a pair of white gloves, garland-like adornments, and tender-leaves around the waist, constitute the get-up of Theyyams, mostly.

The communities that perform Theyyam include Vannan, Malayan, Maavilan, Cheravan, Velan, Pulayan, Paravan, Chinkatthan and Pambathar. This performance is executed in ‘Kavu’(a holy grove), sheds made in fields and in Hindu housleholds. Those who stage it, call this ‘Kaliyaattam.’ Chenda, an especially loud drum, is the major accompaniment. There are other instruments too, like Maddalam (an oval drum), Thakil and Ilatthalam (different types of cymbal), and Kuzhal (the wind-instrument).

Kalichan Theyyam
The initial ceremony in a Theyyam performance is Thottam Paattu, where the one who has donned the make-up of Theyyam, sits in the Kavu or Sanctum, and sings paeans to the god whom he impersonates. The Thottam Paattu seeks to reveal the legend behind the god worshipped. This is, in a sense, an invocation. As the song reaches its crescendo, the Theyyam starts its delirious dance. Some Theyyams tread fire at this time. ‘Uriyaadal’ is when the theyyam answers the queries of devotees. Afterwards, the devotee pays obeisance to the Theyyam, takes the final offering ari and kuri, and concludes the rite. When the get-up is undone, the ritual comes to an end.

That’s Google Buzz…!

Posted on by Rajesh Odayanchal

Google’s latest social media experiment came to life on Tuesday in the form of Google Buzz(a social media sharing service built into your Gmail window.) Buzz will let you share photos, links, videos, and status updates through your Gmail inbox or your mobile device’s Web browser. The product was announced on February 9 and promoted with two online videos, one focusing on the service, the other introducing the unique features available for the mobile version optomized for Android phones and iPhones.

Google have blogged before about their thoughts on the social web, steps they have taken to  add social features to their products, and efforts like OpenSocial  that propose common tools for building social apps. With more and more communication happening online, the social web has exploded as the primary way to share interesting stuff, tell the world what you’re up to in real-time and stay more connected to more people. In today’s world of status messages, tweets and update streams, it’s increasingly tough to sort through it all, much less engage in meaningful conversations.

Google Buzz is a new way to start conversations about the things you find interesting. It’s built right into Gmail, so you don’t have to peck out an entirely new set of friends from scratch — it just works. If you think about it, there’s always been a big social network underlying Gmail. Buzz brings this network to the surface by automatically setting you up to follow the people you email and chat with the most. Google focused on building an easy-to-use sharing experience that richly integrates photos, videos and links, and makes it easy to share publicly or privately (so you don’t have to use different tools to share with different audiences). Plus, Buzz integrates tightly with your existing Gmail inbox, so you’re sure to see the stuff that matters most as it happens in real time.

Buzz is a great product and something Google can hang its hat and near future success for competing with Facebook and Twitter. Buzz is earning praise, too. The location-based features in Google Buzz for mobile are getting a lot of attention, and the fact that Buzz doesn’t force your status updates into 140-character messages could be great for people who complain about that limitation on Twitter. It’s too early to say whether Google Buzz will be a winner or not, but it will certainly be interesting to see how this service develops over time.

A New Birth…!

Posted on by Rajesh Odayanchal

Hi friends, Welcome to my first post.

This is a first entry on my new site – Chayilyam.com, through this site I would be expressing my thoughts, the folk culture of Malabar (Kerala). In addition, I have also incorporated some cherished stories which touched my heart. Thus, Chayilyam.com will be a complete the portfolio of all my thoughts, ideas and visions which is spread across various web communities posted by me.

Rajesh K Odayanchal - A New Birth

Now let me tell you something about myself – I am a webmaster of a Bangalore based consulting company, having experience in designing and developing websites for various domains.  I have been fortunate to have a few years of business experience in the computer industry. As mentioned earlier, the origin of Chayilyam.com was to collate my thoughts at a single platform. However, while I was thinking about Chayilyam.com, I realized that this may be a good opportunity to create some personal pages about myself too. Well, everyone wants a little bit of attention and this created an urge in me to create a page dedicated for photographs of my beloveds and other social events etc. Maybe even my personal opinions about world around me…!  But that’s probably distant future, so don’t get freaked out now 🙂

Let me not bore you anymore, lastly I would love to add one more point – I always value the time someone takes to mail me privately about a post I’ve written in the blogs, whether it’s giving me a bit of encouragement or letting me know I’ve helped them in some way. I find this has nurtured a few nice relationships can be a lot more productive in gaining mind share of other people also.

In short I hope you have understood what is expected from you read Chayilyam.com, share your opinions on what I have to say, suggest something and spread the word about Chayilyam.com if it touches you.