It is due to the democratisation of traditions that the temple decided to host Theyyam here. The shrine management partnered with Gotheertham, a community that was formed in 2019 to promote ritual arts.

“Our community wants to promote ritualistic arts across Kerala, and have decided to concentrate on making Theyyam a regional art rather than its current localised nature,” says Navaneeth Bahuleyan, who is part of Gotheertham.

They are committed to retaining the authenticity of Theyyam, which has sometimes been questioned in performances outside its traditional setting. A few years ago, the capital city hosted a Theyyam performance as part of a temple festival, but it was met with skepticism by viewers, who felt it lacked the true essence of “Theyyam from the local kavu.”

 “While Theyyam has been performed across the country and even abroad, it’s often staged as a tourist attraction. Many of these performances are carried out by individuals trained in institutions. Theyyam, however, is a tradition passed down through generations. It should be taught and learned from the community,” says Navaneeth.

“For instance,” he continues, “the Wayanadan Kulavan is typically performed by members of the Theeya community. To preserve its authenticity, we invited one such family that prepares Theyyam artists from the Vannan community.”