Kerala · Living traditions
Theyyam
The ritual worship of northern Kerala, in which a performer is believed to become the deity.
What Theyyam is
Theyyam is a ritual form of worship from northern Kerala, centred on Kasaragod and Kannur and reaching into parts of Kozhikode and Wayanad. A performer, in elaborate costume, painted face and towering headgear, is believed to become the deity while the ritual lasts. A performance can run from many hours to a whole night, and the shrine, the village and the performer’s community all have a part in it.
It is a living act of worship, not a staged show. Most Theyyams are performed in a season that begins around October or November and runs into May; Muthappan is the well-known exception, performed through the year. Each shrine (a kavu, tharavad or kottam) keeps its own calendar, rites and set of forms.
SATRAM guidance, not a ritual rule: a Theyyam is worship. Ask before photographing, keep clear of the performer and any fire, dress modestly, and follow the instructions of the shrine’s committee.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
A guide to the forms
Forms of Theyyam
Kerala Tourism counts 456 forms, of which 112 are described as important and well known; other sources say about 400 or more. This guide describes only a few and does not claim to be complete; it will grow as more forms are checked against reliable sources.
Names. Names vary. The ritual is called Theyyam, and Kaliyattam is the name often used for a shrine’s festival; a single form is a kolam (so a performance may be called a theyyakkolam). The same ritual tradition in coastal Karnataka is known as Bhuta Kola. Spellings of individual forms also differ between sources: Vishnumoorthi or Vishnumurthi, Gulikan or Guligan, Wayanattu, Vayanat or Wayanadu Kulavan, Kandanar Kelan or Kandanarkelan.
15 of 15 forms described
Agni Kandakarnan
Other forms
Performed in the early morning with lit torches fixed around the performer’s waist; named at Swamimadam in Kasaragod and Pattare in Kozhikode.
Chamundi forms
Goddess forms
Three types are named: Madayil (Patalamurti), Raktha (Rakteshvari) and Kundora Chamundi, each tied to its own shrines. Raktha Chamundi is among the forms most often listed in festival schedules.
Sources: Theyyam, Wikipedia
Gulikan
Other forms
A local form of Yama, the god of death, and a warrior of Shiva. It is said that even the gods fear to look at Gulikan. Gulikan appears in a great many festival listings.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
Kandanar Kelan
Heroes and ancestors
A fire Theyyam, recognised by its red costume and face paint and by a performer who runs into the flames. In the legend usually told, Kelan, from the Theeyar community, died in a forest fire and was revived by the warrior god Wayanattu Kulavan; details differ between tellings and shrines. Mainly performed in the Payyannur and Taliparamba areas.
Sources: Theyyam, Wikipedia, Kandanar Kelan Theyyam, Kerala Folklore, Photograph captions, Wikimedia Commons (Kandanar Kelan portrait, Bobinson, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kathivanoor Veeran
Heroes and ancestors
Performed in memory of the warrior Mandhappan, born into a Thiyya family, who died in battle. The performer needs skill in the martial art of kalaripayattu.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
Kuttichathan
Other forms
A widely known form across Kerala; Karim, Poo and Thee Kuttichathan are its best-known versions. One source links it with the Kalakatt Illam in Payyannur and says it is believed to grant wishes.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
Manakkott Amma
Goddess forms
Remembered as a woman who defied caste rules and was killed by her household while pregnant; villagers later revered her as a goddess. Her Theyyam is performed every April at the Vairajathan temple, Malappacherry.
Muchilot Bhagavathi
Goddess forms
A virgin goddess, the tutelary deity of the Vaniyas of north Malabar.
Sources: Theyyam, Wikipedia
Muthappan
Vishnu and Shiva forms
Combines Vishnu (Thiruvappana) and Shiva (Vellattam). The one Theyyam performed all year rather than only in the season; Parassinikkadavu and Kunnathur Padi are its best-known temples.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
Muthappan Anthithira
Other forms
Performed only once across all the Muthappan temples of north Malabar; its decoration resembles Vettakorumakan at the front and Muthappan at the back.
Padamadakki Bhagavathy
Goddess forms
Said to have been sent by the gods to protect the king of Nileswar from an invading force from Karnataka, whose soldiers fell unconscious at the sight of her and so averted a battle. Performed yearly at the Koroth temple.
Padikutti Amma
Goddess forms
Believed to be the mother of Muthappan, given the status of a goddess after he became a god. Performed at the Palaprath temple in Kodallur.
Puthiya Bhagavathy
Goddess forms
The main deity of many shrines in Kannur, said to have risen from a sacrificial fire to cure Shiva of smallpox; accompanied by Padakulangara Veeran and Veerakali. Sri Bhadrakali is generally taken to be this deity.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
Vishnumoorthi
Vishnu and Shiva forms
The best-known Vaishnava Theyyam, with complex rites. Sources tell it differently: one links it to Narasimha’s defeat of Hiranyakashipu, another to the story of Palanthai Kannan, a devotee of Vishnu. The performer enters a pyre in an act called agnipravesham.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Theyyam, Wikipedia
Wayanattu Kulavan
Heroes and ancestors
A warrior deity named in Kerala Tourism’s list of forms (Vayanat Kulavan). In the Kandanar Kelan legend he is the hunter-warrior who brings Kelan back to life. Details are not covered in the sources checked so far.
Sources: Various Types of Theyyam, Kerala Tourism (Bekal), Kandanar Kelan Theyyam, Kerala Folklore
More forms named by Kerala Tourism (57)
Further forms named by Kerala Tourism, without descriptions in that source and not yet checked here. Names are given as printed there.
Puliyur Kali · Pullikarim Kali · Pulikandan · Marapuli · Kandapuli · Pulimaruthan · Padarkulangara Bhagavathy · Karinthiri Nair · Kuttikol Thamburatti · Elayor · Muthur · Vannathan · Chuzhali Bhagavathy · Kannangat Bhagavathy · Kodoth Chamundi · Moovalamkuzhi Chamundi · Palot Daivam · Dandinganath Bhagavathy · Karim Chamundi · Muthala · Elleduth Bhagavathy · Adukunnath Bhagavathy · Narambil Bhagavathy · Chembilot Bhagavathy · Pulichon · Vellarangara Bhagavathy · Mayyakkal Bhagavathy · Koroth Naga Bhagavathy · Padinhare Chamundi · Vettakorumakan · Mavila Chamundi · Urpazhassi · Kudiveeran · Veerabadran · Vishakandan · Kunhiraman Gurukkal · Munnayareeshwaran · Manavalan · Manavatti · Manjalamma · Thoovakkari Muthappan · Karimanal Chamundi · Peruvamba Chamundi · Eroth Chamundi · Kizhakkeveettil Chamundi · Kaitha Chamundi · Madayil Chamundi · Pethalan · Pullon · Chooliyar Bhagavathy · Olassa Poomala Bagavathi · Astamachal Bagavathy · Nagacherry Bhagavathy · Meethale Theyyam · Oyola Bagavathi · Padaveeran · Pallivettakkorumakan
Season 2026-27
Theyyam calendar
Only dates published by an official source are listed. Kerala Tourism says its dates follow the Malayalam calendar and are approximate, and should be confirmed with local authorities.
2 of 2 listed events. Last checked 27 Oct 2026.
- 30 Oct 2026 to 31 Oct 2026Malayalam date: 13 and 14 of Thulam
Kambrath Tharavadu Devasthanam
Thangayam, Trikaripur, Kasaragod district
- Forms listed
- Vishnumoorthy, Kanakkara Bhagavathy, Raktha Chamundi, Madayil Chamundi, Bhagavathy, Karanavar
- Time
- Not published. Ask the kavu.
- Status
- Listed by an official source (approximate date)
- Last verified
- 27 Oct 2026
Listed with an approximate date. Contact details for the temple are on the source page.
Dates and times can change. Please confirm with the kavu or its committee before travelling.
- 26 Dec 2026 to 27 Dec 2026Malayalam date: 10 to 11 of Dhanu
Aanacheri Kottam Sree Perumpuzha Achan Deivam Temple (Kaliyatta Mahotsavam)
Chittaari Kowwal, Kandothu, Payyanur, Kannur district
- Forms listed
- Perumpuzha Achan, Vishnumoorthy, Gulikan
- Time
- Not published. Ask the kavu.
- Status
- Listed by an official source (approximate date)
- Last verified
- 27 Oct 2026
Listed with an approximate date. Payyanur railway station is about 5 km away.
Dates and times can change. Please confirm with the kavu or its committee before travelling.
Seasonal guidance (not dates)
- The season. Theyyam is mostly performed from about October or November to May. It is generally said to open in the north, in Kasaragod, and move south through Kannur as the season goes on. These are seasonal patterns, not dates.
- Muthappan all year. Muthappan Theyyam is performed throughout the year, in the mornings and evenings, at the Muthappan temple at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur.
- Dates move. Festival dates follow the Malayalam calendar, so the same festival falls on different Gregorian dates each year. SATRAM does not repeat last year’s dates.
Where to find current schedules
Several private websites publish longer lists for 2026–27 (one lists nearly fifty events). They do not name a source for each event or say when they were checked, so SATRAM does not copy them. Use them only as leads, and confirm each date and time with the kavu or its committee.