Theyyam:Indian Folk Ritual Theatre: An Insider's Vision

Gopalakrishnan, K.K.

ISBN 10: 9389136989 / ISBN 13: 9789389136982

Published by Niyogi Books, 2024

This is a Brand-new US Edition. This Item may be shipped from US or any other country as we have multiple locations worldwide. Seller Inventory # ABNR-46761

Synopsis:

Originating in the northern districts of Kerala, Theyyam is a vibrant ritualistic folk-art tradition worshipping concepts such as Mother, Nature, Spirit, Ancestors, Warriors and Animals, among others.

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.

About the Author: K.K. Gopalakrishnan, is a distinguished writer photographer hailing from Kerala. A connoisseur specializing in Kerala performing arts, he is a well-known contributor to India's leading newspapers and periodicals. A recipient of the coveted Tagore National Scholarship, he has authored the critically acclaimed work Kathakali Dance-Theatre - A Visual Narrative of Sacred Indian Mime (2016; Niyogi Books). A former Director of the Centre for Kutiyattam at the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, he is currently the Director of the South Zone Cultural Centre of the Government of India, Ministry of Culture, working tirelessly to preserve the indigenous art traditions of southern India. He hails from the Hindu matrilineal family Kamballoore Kottayil which has patronized Theyyam for over three centuries, including a Muslim Theyyam.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Theyyam:Indian Folk Ritual Theatre: An ...
Publisher: Niyogi Books
Publication Date: 2024
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: New