This costume is worn during a ‘teyyam’ dance, a ritual folk performance. Before the dance is performed, the dancer will recite the ‘tottam’(songs accompanying the dance) for two or three hours in front of the shrine. This will help him to identify psychologically with the deity. The costume is used to facilitate its gracefulness, elegance and natural movement.The ‘teyyam’ is a folk ritual art of Kerala and is associated with spirit mediumship. It developed and thrived in small local temples called ‘kavu’, which in north Kerala, is a small place of worship belonging to a particular family or village. It is performed in the open fields in front of the shrine and performed by people of certain castes such as Malayan, Vannan, Velan, Pulayan, Anjuttan and Munnuttan. The performances varies between these different communities.
