Theyyam Artist Having Make Up Applied On His Back, Thalassery, India, 2008 (photo)

In India, you can attend to a popular Hindu ritual of worship called Theyyam, this ancestral cult has got the particularity of involving all the castes and classes that comprise Hindu society, nevertheless Theyyam can only be performed by male members of particular castes; the term Theyyam is a corrupt form of Devam or God; people of these districts consider the performers of the Theyyam as deities and look forward blessings from this Theyyam; in order to get the appearance of super-human, original and colourful costumes and make-up are used in Theyyam dances; Theyyam tells the story of people who lost their lives on the battlefield, pangs of women who committed suicide or persons killed by the local chieftains, Theyyams performance in front of shrines honour such people; after the dance, people consult also the dancers because they communicate forecasts and see the future, there is a charge for the consultation; taking pictures is not easy as you must not forget that they are gods