A villager dressed up as a god as part of a North Keralan Theyyam festival
Many villages in northern Kerala annually perform their own unique version of the ritual event that is loosely known as Theyyam For a few days a year men from low castes don spectacular costumes and are worshipped by the priests and villagers as the gods they come to represent Each festival involves remarkable spectacles such as trance dances fire walking or legendary reenactments that can last all night but most memorable are the elaborate headdresses Made over several days with flowers and bamboo some are over ten feet tall and often the exhauasted actors require assistants to help support the weight
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Photo credit: © Tom Allwood / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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