Kannaur Dance

Introduction

There could be no better introduction to the dance of Kannaur than in the awe inspiring book, Nine Lives, by William Dalrympl. The sheer mention, by the renowned travel writer, historian and aster observer of this nation for the past quarter of a century is itself the biggest compliment to an art form that has been sorely neglected in a country that uses dance as a format for prayer. When Hari Das, a prison warden morphs into a God for two months annually, then there is reason to believe that much can happen in this land of rejuvenation. Transfixed with pure reverence a large crowd bewitched by ‘god on earth’, a group of animated, sweating , half-naked, Dalit drummers bewitch their dance with the rising tempo beaten on the animal-hide

It’s predominant in the Kolathunadu area, in Kodagu and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka as a living cult with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. Theyyam or theyyattam means 'dance of the gods'; (deyvam means god and attam means dance). It invokes the presence of the deity in the body of the dancer.It is a native cult of spirit and hero worship that has survived and coexisted with more recent Aryan/Brahminical rituals. The Bhagavathy or the Goddess cult is an ancient tradition in this region and practically every village has a Bhagavathy shrine or kavu. Each such shrine along with shrines devoted to a variety of major and minor deities has its own theyyams which are conducted as annual festivals in which the entire community of the village participates. Velan, Malayan and Vannan are the predominant communities that have traditionally performed theyyams. There are also other tribes that perform theyyams as part of spirit or ancestor worship.
“Theyyam” promises to survive the juggernaut of vigorous science, gruesome politics and jealous art forms over the ages. How can something that is believed to bring about well-being for the society and the families, be kept under wraps! If mythology can be re-enacted annually without a yawn, where the valiant hero slays a hundred dragons, then theyyam has a myriad stories to tell - from Yakshis, witches, and the myths of

One of which is the clan houses (tharavadu),shrines and temples where it is a local initiative. It’s earned the name Thirayattam as every ‘thira’ (village) dramatized this ritual dance and art at the village temple known askavu.1% of these rituals happen in tharavadu temples, while the others are in temples with community effort. Some theyyams need Aachaaram (formal initiation); if requested to perform in a different territory other than the one the person belongs to. Thudangal and Thottam are the beginning and the invocation. The new or guest Theyyam performer needs formal permission or adayaalam from both the local chieftain/temple and the person who usually performs the Theyyam in that territory