Thirra is a ritual dance of North Malabar

North Malabar

North Malabar , is a historic as well as geographic distinction in India used to refer the area covering; present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady taluk of Wayanad District and Koyilandy & Vatakara taluks of Kozhikode District in modern Kerala and the entire Mahé sub-Division of...

 region in the Kerala State, South India

South India

South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

, performed in Bhagavati temples. Thirra is performed primarily in Thalassery

Thalassery

Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...

 and Vadakara areas. This art form is performed by the artists of Peruvannan (Vannan) community. This art is performed during Utsavam (Annual temple festival). Clan deities such as Bhagavathi

Bhagavathi

Bhagavathi or Bhagavati is the general way people refer to the Hindu goddesses in Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra states of India. It can be used to refer any of the Hindu goddesses like Durga, Kannaki, Parvati, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Kali...

, Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

, Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 are worshipped in these forms. It is similar to the Theyyam

Theyyam

Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...

 dance performed in the same region, except that in Theyyam the performer is considered as the god he is representing, while in Thiera the performer is considered as to be possessed by god.

Thirra brings the gods to life. Performers dress up with ceremonial facial paint and loud clothing and dance in front of the deity, the bhagwati. The objective clearly is to bring a sense of awe to the proceedings.
Each performer represents a particular deity and is sponsored by devotees as a prayer offering.
These dancers are viewed as possessed by the gods when they are in their act, with devotees queuing up to meet them to share woes and wishes.

Toddy

Toddy

Toddy may be:* Hot toddy, a mixed drink served hot* Palm wine, also known as palm toddy, an alcoholic beverage.* The toddy palm...

 plays a very significant role in the proceedings,it is an offering to the gods and almost all the performers dance under the influence. This helps in creating the feeling of "possessed". The performers belong to the "Malayan" caste of tribals, who are given prime importance in Thirra and Theyyam. Therefore in Kerala, both upper caste Brahmins, and lower caste tribals have an important place in worship.

Different types of Thiras

• Bhagavati Thirra
• Bhairavan Thirra
• Chanthu Thirra
• Gulikan Thirra
• Kuttichathan Thirra
• Hanuman
  Hanuman
  Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
  
   Thirra
• Pottan Thirra
• Kandakarnan Thirra
• Chamundi Thirra
• Vasurimala Thirra
• NagaKali Thirra
• Dharikavadham Thirra
• Naga Kaali Thira
• Bhadra kaali Thira
• Raktheshwari Amma
• Kurumba Bhagawathi

External links

• http://www.malayalamresourcecentre.org/Mrc/culture/artforms/thirayaattam/main.html