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North Malabar · Kannur and Kasaragod · Season 2026–27

The Theyyam guide

Etiquette and travel notes for your first night with the gods.

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It's worship, not a show.

For one night, a performer becomes the deity. The people around you have come to pray and to be blessed. You're a guest at someone's prayer, so act like one.

A Theyyam's painted face lit by torches at a kavu in Kannur

01 · When to go

Late October to May

About seven months a year.

Opens on Thulam 10
The season starts on the 10th of the Malayalam month Thulam, which falls in late October or early November.
Closes in mid-Edavam
Late May or early June. Madayi Kavu closes Kannur's season, and Mannampurath Kavu in Nileshwar closes Kasaragod's.
Dates move every year
Each kavu follows the Malayalam calendar. Book flexible nights and confirm the date locally.

02 · Finding tonight's Theyyam

Ask a local. Then check again.

  1. Your homestay host, or your auto driver. Locals know which kavu is "on" tonight.
  2. Posters and local pages. Kavu notice boards and the local pages of Malayalam dailies.
  3. Confirm on the day. Timings shift. Ask what time the Theyyam is expected to appear.

03 · Getting there

Base yourself in the north

Fly into Kannur
Kannur International Airport is at Mattannur. Mangaluru and Kozhikode airports also work.
Or take the train
Kannur, Payyanur, Nileshwar and Kasaragod stations are all on the coastal line.
Stay close
Kannur town, Payyanur or Nileshwar. A local homestay is the best way to hear about tonight's kavu.
Book your ride home
Most kavus are in villages and run till dawn. Fix a return auto before you go: there are few rides at 3 am.
Devotees bowing as a Theyyam passes through the crowd

04 · Dress and arrival

Dress like you're visiting a temple

  • ✓
    Cover shoulders and knees

    Mundu, kurta, salwar or saree all work. Carry a light shawl: nights get cool.

  • ✓
    Shoes off where locals take theirs off

    Watch the people around you near the shrine.

  • ✓
    Come early

    The thottam songs call the deity before the Theyyam appears. They're worth hearing.

  • ✕
    No alcohol, no smoking

    Some areas may be closed to some visitors. Follow the locals.

05 · When the Theyyam moves

Give the god the way

  • ✕
    Don't block the path

    A Theyyam can turn or run without warning.

  • ✕
    Don't touch

    Not the performer, the costume or the props, unless the Theyyam reaches for you.

  • ✓
    Stay behind the line

    Ropes, chalk or a row of elders mark the ritual space.

  • ✓
    Fire forms: step back

    Embers fly. Keep children close and well back.

A crowd watching a fire Theyyam from behind the line

06 · Receiving a blessing

Join the line. Copy the devotee before you.

  1. Wait your turn. Devotees queue to meet the Theyyam. Join quietly at the back.
  2. Receive with your right hand. You may be given turmeric or rice (kuri). Cup your hands and touch it to your forehead.
  3. Offer dakshina. Many devotees offer a small note. Watch what the person before you does.
A Theyyam blessing a devotee

07 · Photography

Devotees first. Camera second.

  • ✕
    Never use flash

    It distracts the performer and the people praying. Raise your ISO instead.

  • ✕
    Don't block anyone's view

    Don't stand in front of devotees, and don't climb walls or shrine steps for an angle.

  • ✓
    Ask first

    Ask the committee before close-ups or shooting in the green room (aniyara). Some kavus don't allow photos at all.

  • ✓
    Drones only with permission

    And put the phone down for the big moments. Just watch.

A phone held up to film a Theyyam
Monsoon rain on a window in North Malabar

08 · Supporting the performer

The god goes home to daily-wage work

The season lasts about seven months, and the honorarium is small. In the monsoon, many performers build, dig and drive autos.

  1. Give dakshina in person. When the Theyyam blesses you, your offering goes to the performer directly.
  2. Ask how support reaches them. Ask the temple committee, or the tharavadu (ancestral family) that hosts the Theyyam, how contributions reach the performers, drummers and costume makers.
  3. Credit them when you post. Name the Theyyam and the kavu, not just "Kerala festival".
  4. Spend locally. Homestays, local guides, autos and the kavu's food stalls.

09 · Your night kit

Pack for dusk to dawn

  • Torch: village paths are dark
  • Small notes for dakshina and tea
  • Water and mosquito repellent
  • A shawl for the 3 am chill
  • Power bank
  • Earplugs: the chenda is loud
  • Patience. Theyyams run late.

Annadanam

Many kavus serve a free meal. Accept it, join the queue and eat what you take.

"We photograph the god. Almost nobody asks about the man."

Stay till dawn. Ask about the man.

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More: Theyyam, the ritual art of North Kerala ·The Theyyam you can see every day ·Kerala

Customs differ from kavu to kavu. When in doubt, ask an elder and do what devotees do. Photos: Soul Sanchari.