Theyyam: When Gods Descend on earth
India has many rich religious traditions during which the Gods are supposed to come down to the earth and express themselves through some persons. Examples of similar traditions can be found in different parts of India. This post focuses on one such tradition called Theyyam , which is celebrated in northern Kerala in south India. Gods Speaking Through Humans Hindus believe that the Divine is present in each living being as universal consciousness. At the same time, they have a pantheon of a huge number of Gods and Goddesses, one for each of life’s different forms. The Gods, animals and plants are all inter-linked through the sacred stories and myths. The religious ceremonies in which Gods speak through humans has 2 main functions – (i) as a part of celebration of specific religious and social events; and, (ii) to answer questions and to give blessings to people. All over India, especially in small towns and villages, there are persons who are known in the communities as “carriers of Go