Theyyam, Kalari cast spell on them

Kozhikode: A travel to Kerala was an enthralling experience for the four girl students from Norway who were on an information-gathering overseas mission in connection with their studies. Nova, 19, Thea, 22, Madlen, 23 and Silje, 20 are part of a 16-member delegation of first year graduation course on development studies at faculty of education and international studies at Oslo and Akershus University College (HiOA).

The team was on a five-week internship at CREST, the city NGO which has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the varsity for academic collaboration. “We are very much interested in theyyam the dancing deities, and the Kalari, the martial art-form,” said Thea. “We have never seen anything like it before and you cannot see something like this in Norway.” During the trip the students also experienced the rich cuisine of the state.

They have full praise for Kerala parotta and the sumptuous thali meals and are bit surprised on the huge quantity of rice people eat.   The students also visited Kappad beach, Beypore, Vayalada view point and Kadalundi till now. The students would  spend 10 weeks at CREST working with students of CREST, Nirmal Joy, project coordinator, said. “They will also undertake studies in developmental issues including women and media, agriculture in Wayanad, job guarantee scheme for rural workers and women in Kerala politics,” he said.