Pottan theyaam

Pottan theyyam Face Mask (Mukam Moodi)

Pottan Theyyam makes every one stand at their toe. Its prologue, Thottam paattu shoots questions towards the bosom of a State divided into irrational fragments of a void caste system. Rubina Shagin talks with a veteran Theyyam artist narrating the interesting incidents of ‘becoming’ and the ‘one-step-above-human activity’ involved in the performance . The One of the most verity art from theyaam from kerala god's own country. 

Shrieks and roars quivered the dusky ambit of the pompous Bhagavathy temple. The crowd gathered around stood breathless, their hands folded in reverence and fear…the red flames radiated from the pyre nearby flushed their cheeks more, the numb mass tighten their legs in the dark. Suddenly with a piercing shrill of alarm the God came out of the temple in a frenzied spell, dressed in ribbons of tender coconut leaves tied around the whole body, his anklets jingled in an alarming rhythm, He threw himself into the scarlet fiery heap of burning logs.. Lying on the red cinders he laughed and laughed, then put his folded leg on the other lay there as the mightiest, again laughing at the whole world ..then rolled on the flames..again laughed. People around were spell bound, speechless..

It was Theyyattam.. the time-honored religious ritual still alive in Kerala Malabar. It was not a showcase piece exhibited in order to lure the foreigners. It is all about Theyyam, the crude tongue of Daivam,meaning God. It was their God whom the people around revered in fear and piety.

In Kannur and Kazargodu Districts of the Kerala State Theyyam performance is a religious ritual and is being performed in many temples annually and homes in separate events. As for the Landlords and the rulers, the Theyyam was expected to bring prosperity to their domain. People believe that Theyyam can do away with all their troubles and bring them riches. So everyone regardless of caste and cult, make oneself prepared for this practice of ritual in their homes or near by temples.

Pottan theyyam In Fire (Nerippu)

God  talks

Risen from the pyre of beliefs and penances, the man who was impersonated the deity came out, after the blessing ceremony, raw as the old Kallen Damodaran and began to narrate the other sides of this highly perilous and breath-taking performance.

“I ve been performing this ritual since my early youth stage, at about 21 years..it is a privilege to put on the attire of Thaivam, I take it in its pious sense, nothing whimsical or fancy about it. It is the game of God..”

As for any religious ritual, Theyyattam is also being performed with a lot of ritualistic activities prior to the performance. After getting the Adayalam, an honor from the chief of the temple authority the performer lives under rigorous abstinence and self-restrictions unto the day of performance. “Only because of this intense ‘vrataa’ (penance) we are able to perform such an adventurous act.. if some one happened to  deviate from that strict observance, he and his family would have to undergo severe wrath of  God, besides the burns from the pyre”, says Damodaran firmly.

call back pottan theyym from fire (Nerippu)

Theyyam   a call behind

 

Theyyam Kaliyattam, the sacred dance performance of Gods and Goddesses carry umpteen myths that strengthen its impact even in this era of Chandrayan. Significantly two myths uphold this ancient religious ceremony. Narration of this pull-back gives a grant depiction of the social order prevailed at that time, which unfasten a thoroughfare to know about the history also. In the various Theyyam forms, Pottan Theyyam that Damodaran has been performed for the last 60 years, stands apart with its unique tapestry of truth in its essence.

Thottam Pattu, the opening song of the performance in old Malayalam jargon tells you the satirical story of a domain that was and is bound to the cast and creed cult.

Pottan Theyyam Home Visit

“Vazhi thetty vazhy thetty po pulapotta..

Enthina chovvare vazhi thettunnathu?

Ningale kothiyaalum chora onnalle…

Ningal pale perum mannathu koodumbol..

Naangal pale perum kaavil kuudunnu..

Nhangale kuppayile poovanu chovvare..

Ningale deevane poojikkunnathu chovvare…

…”

When Damodaran stops singing this song in its particular slang and rhythm, it silently asks us for introspection.

When Sankaracharya, the preceptor of Advaita theory (All are one along with God), on his way tosarvagnapeedhom (the  Ultimate Knowledge) meets the lower caste Pulaya Pottan accompanied by his wife and his dog, he asked them to clear off the way in order not to ‘pollute’ him. It mirrors the stinking stories that once existed here when the lower castes were considered to be untouchable to the privileged ones. At this context, the Pulaya Pottan asks the scholar monk, “If there is a cut on the body, the blood will come out and the blood of mine and yours will have the same color. So, what is the difference between us?” Like this he points out a lot of similarities in both and makes the scholar ‘enlightened’ so as to attain his pinnacle of knowledge. Sankaracharya realizes the Lord Siva inside that Pulaya Pottan and the other two, Goddess Parvathy and Nandikeswara.

The rational discourse of the Pulaya Pottan became the Thottam Pattu in the slang of amateurish Malayalam. Those who give an ear to the lines keeping off his eyes from the hypnotizing visions can understand what Sankaraacharya had realized out of it.

Kallen Damodaran narrates another tear-stained story of Pottan Pulayan’s origin. He began to talk of the Alankaran also a Pulayan (one of the many lower castes in Kerala). Even though born toPulaya parents Alankaran was a whiz kid. He grew in a society which always treated him and his community with disgust. But he mastered the Vedas, forbidden to the lower castes. Once he had a debate with a Brahmin (the higher caste) as in the other story. He ordered Alankara who came across him to move away from his path. He didn’t move instead he retorted, “If the problem is with the way, I shall divide the way into two to travel for both of us”, Then Alankaran split that path using his wooden wand. The angry Brahmins later caught him and tied up his limbs threw him into a heap of fire. Being intellectual and gifted with divine knowledge, Alankaran laughed and laughed in the fire and finally succumbed to the fate, scribbled by the privileged ones.

“That is why the Theyyam laughs lying upon the fire…” for a moment Damaodaran goes back to the memories never marked in history.

Thottm paattu   a social satire

It is said that Pottan Theyyam is performed to spread the message against the cast and creed system that still exists in the society. The song and the ritual uphold the values of knowledge as mightier than the alms that rendered on birth. Theyyam being performed amidst the audience which consists of all religions and castes roars this basic fact from the roofs.

“ I m belonging to Pulaya family. Only such lower castes are chosen to guise as Theyyams. So this is a time of honor for us. Members of the privileged castes take away their pre-eminence in this context and they even seeks blessings from us..”, says a proud Damodaran. “ but we should call the higher castes first in he blessing ceremony at the end of the session..”, he added.

More over, in Literature also Thottam paatu has its own contribution. In fact, the THOTTAM PAATTU of POTTAN Theyyam is considered to be the first lyrical form in Malayaalam that retorted against the caste discrimination.

Pottan Theyyam – performance

“ I used to perform this ritual only in Mundayattu Bhagavathy Kavu, Pappinissery, Kannur. But I get a lot of requests from near by homes to play the same there….and I go there often.” said Damodaran.

Earlier, lower castes were not permitted to enter into temples where the chief-in-charge will be a Brahmin. So since the remote Dynasty times this art form has been performed in courts, royal houses and in Kavu where lower castes meet no hurdles. While temples are having Brahminical authority and idol-worship, Kavu is ‘attainable’ to lower castes, where they can guise and worship Theyyam, along with serpent and tree-worship.

Theyyam is performed from thulamto edavam (October – May) excluding the monsoon season. The art is performed at the last‘yaamas’(last 3 hours of night), normally till 6:00 in the morning. However, the arrangements start right from the previous afternoon

“The same performer is transforming into three Godly forms, first as Pulamaruthan(Lord Nandi), then as Pulakkaali (Goddess) and finally as Pula Pottan (Lord Siva), by changing the face-masks. Thottam paattu gears up the performance which will be followed by the traditional temple orchestra.

Nivedyams (food for the deity) are bestowed first to the pulamaruthan. These include all the pulses, coconut, groundnut, raisins, jaggery, pappadam, plaintains, and even the blood of a cock, and a pot of toddy.

Costumes makes the common man the much adored deity and thus costumes and face masks have a significant role in this ritual. After make-up, the performer looks on into the mirror and transforms himself in a frenzied manner into the deity form. Then in a frantic move he comes out of the Palliyara to perform in front of the mammoth gathering.

Pula pottan is the one who jumps into the burning embers making the spectators awestruck. But we can see that his assistants pulling him from the fire, but he never yields. When asked about the ploy of this seemingly adventurous act, Kallen Damodaran replied “ It’s Lord Siva who plays there and He is there to protect me. I ve been performing for the last 60 years and I don’t remember of any burns..” Some are of the opinion that the tender coconut leaves tied around the body help them combating the heat. But if scrutinized, we can see that it is only a thinner covering when compared to the red-hot ambers.