Kannur, 28 Oct (H.S.): The rhythmic beat of chenda drums and the ringing of ceremonial anklets have heralded the Theyyam season in North Malabar, drawing devotees to sacred groves and ancestral shrines across Kannur and Kasaragod districts.

Beginning on the tenth day of the Malayalam month of Thulam, the season will continue for nearly seven months, bringing hundreds of ritual manifestations of deities to thousands of places of worship.

In Kannur, the customary opening was marked at Sree Chathampallikkavu in Kolachery, where Vishandan Theyyam, Thai Paradevatha and Gulikan were performed in keeping with longstanding traditions. Large crowds arrived to witness the rituals and seek blessings despite intense heat and challenging weather.

Prominent shrines, including Anjoottambalam Veerarkavu in Nileshwaram, are among the venues hosting the season’s opening kaliyattams, the ritual festivals centred on Theyyam performances.

The season will conclude around late May or early June next year, with the arrival of the southwest monsoon, following the festivals at Valapattanam’s Kalarivathukkal Bhagavathy Temple and Madayikkavu.

Preparations are also gathering pace for major Perumkaliyattams, elaborate celebrations expected to attract tens of thousands of devotees. Eramam Kuttur Muchilottu Bhagavathy Temple and Edanad Thiruvarkkat Bhagavathy Temple in Payyannur are among the shrines hosting these festivals this season.

Temple committees are coordinating arrangements for the celebrations, which extend over about four days and feature elaborate rituals and performances.

Among the striking forms that will appear are Ghantakarnan, whose performer dances with flaming torches secured around the waist; Muchilottu Bhagavathy, revered for her compassion; and Theechamundi, associated with rituals involving glowing embers.

Manthramoorthi, Puthiya Bhagavathy and Thampuratti will also feature alongside numerous other Theyyam forms.

Over the coming months, sacred groves will resonate with thottam songs, ritual chants and percussion as communities gather through the day and night, sustaining a devotional tradition carefully preserved and passed down through generations across the region’s villages.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman