Title in ENGLISH : As rural Kerala grows more urbanised, the present elderly generation may be the last to witness authentic Theyyam performances ... an intensive traditional training programme has to be evolved to streamline the continuous practice of Theyyam performances. This volume of authoritative documentation by K.K. Gopalakrishnan will significantly help that venture.--BALAN NAMBIAR. Theyyam is a colorful ritualistic folk-art tradition of India, originating in the northern districts of Kerala. The performers are daily-wage laborers struggling to eke out an existence; and yet, when they perform at the estate of their masters, the latter bow before them with folded hands. The alluring facial-body drawings with intricate and subtle nuances and the colorful paraphernalia, including various headgears in different shapes, are endlessly fascinating. The unpolished rhythm of Theyyam enhances its appeal. Concepts such as Mother, Nature, Fertility and Agriculture, Spirit and Ghost, Animal, Reptile and Warrior, among others, are worshiped as Theyyam which refers to both the form and the performance. Most Theyyams are women worshiped as Mother Goddesses and any devotee, irrespective of religion or caste, can interact with this goddess without the help of intermediaries such as priests. Art scholar and photographer K.K. Gopalakrishnan has captured Theyyam in its myriad facets, with a variety of stunning photographs, from the insightful perspective of an insider.

ISBN 13: 9789389136982

ISBN 10: 9389136989

Edition: New Delhi

Year: 2024

Language: ENGLISH

Subject(s): Music, Drama and Cinema