Risky rituals: Safety concerns spark debate within theyyam community

THE theyyam community in northern Malabar is calling for a major shift in age-old customs that expose performers to serious physical risks.

- LAKSHMI ATHIRA @Kannur

THE theyyam community in northern Malabar is calling for a major shift in age-old customs that expose performers to serious physical risks. Amid growing concerns, theyyam artists and folklorists are urging immediate intervention from the government and judiciary to address the welfare of performers who suffer life-altering injuries during traditional rituals.

Malabar is witnessing deepening divisions over the safety of its artists, with demands intensifying for the ban on certain dangerous performances. A recent gathering of theyyam artists and folklorists called for an outright ban on Ottakolams—ritual performances believed to pose grave threats to the lives and well-being of the artists involved.