KOZHIKODE: Theyyam, northern Kerala’s popular ritual dance, has inspired a school teacher in Vadakara to become a photographer and capture its vigorous moments. Arjun P.N., an English teacher at SGMSD, has since childhood been photographing Theyyam, and his images narrate its vivid moments and awe-inspiring milieu.
Theyyam is not just an art form for him, while the whole world has tagged it as yet another performing art like Kathakali or a dance form of a different genre. “For me Theyyam is a religious belief and each performance, or its categories, tell a story of ancient past which is performed so divinely,” he says.
Some 100 of his enlarged photographs, taken mainly from Kannur, Kozhikode and Kasargod, will be on display on Sunday at Vadakara Keluettan Smaraka Hall, also as part of the Reading Day observance of a private college in Vadakara.
“The prominence of colours used in Theyyam obscure their apparent differences as they are all rooted in an ancient agrarian ritual tradition,” he says. “Soon after I decided to capture these Theyyam moments, I created a Facebook page and started uploading them. Magnificent headgear, colourful costumes and rhythmical movement of Theyyam dancers and their interaction with the common man are all there.”
