Culture · 8 min read

The steps of a Theyyam: thottam, vellattam, purappadu and more explained

By Aadi · Updated 20 Jan 2026

A Theyyam is not a single moment but a sequence of ritual steps, each with its own name. Knowing them helps you understand what is happening, and when to stay quietly at the edge. Names, order and length vary by shrine, family and deity, so please treat this as a general outline and ask your guide how it goes at the place you visit.

Before anything begins: preparation and the aniyara

The koladhari, the person who takes the kolam, prepares by fasting and keeping to certain rules. How long this lasts varies, with sources giving anything from a few days to longer. On the day, the koladhari is made ready in the aniyara, the green room, which is often a simple thatched shelter near the grove. A lamp is kept there, and in one account the lamp is understood as the presence of God, to which the koladhari prays before the ritual begins.

Permission and the opening bow

In the account we read, the koladhari walks to the centre of the grove, bows to the eight directions and receives a small offering from the priest, a banana leaf with rice, betel nut and sandal paste, which gives permission to begin. This is sometimes called kodiyila vangal.

Thottam and vellattam: the invocation

The first public part is called thottam or vellattam. The koladhari wears only a small red headdress and no full make-up or attire. With the drummers, the koladhari sings or recites the deity’s story. The song itself is called thottam pattu, and it is sung before the Theyyam begins, often while the koladhari is being made up, to invoke the deity.

Kerala Tourism describes vellattam as an invocative ritual held before the actual Theyyam, equivalent to the thottam chant but more vibrant and vigorous. Many sources use the two words together or interchangeably, and some use them for slightly different things, so you may hear them both.

Mukhathezhuthu and vesham: face and attire

After a short break the koladhari returns to the green room, and specialists and other koladharis apply the face painting, mukhathezhuthu, and the attire, vesham. Each Theyyam has its own face pattern, made with natural colours. Named patterns include kattaram, kozhipushpam and prakkezhuthu. The attire is built from natural materials such as tender coconut leaf, wood and cloth. The whole process can take many hours.

The mudi: the deity arrives

The most important moment is the placing of the mudi, the tall headdress. Sources describe it as the point at which the deity is understood to enter the koladhari. In several accounts, the koladhari sits on a pedestal while the drums begin, looks into a mirror and then the mudi is placed. After this, the koladhari is treated as the deity, and the priest and devotees welcome the god.

Purappadu: coming forth

Purappadu means roughly “coming forth”, and it is the word used for the moment when the fully dressed deity sets out from the green room towards the shrine ground. We found this term only in a few popular sources and not in the scholarly ones we could read, so its use may differ between places.

Kalasams: the ritual steps

The deity then circles the shrine and moves through the courtyard, to the sound of the chenda, kuzhal and other instruments. The movement follows set footwork patterns called kalasams, repeated in order up to the eighth step. Many deities carry a sword and a shield.

Offerings and the kalasham

In one account, offerings such as flowers, beaten rice, coconut and appam are laid out on a floor on the north side of the grove, with a vessel called a kalasham among them. Some shrines have additional rites there, which differ between deities and places. Be aware that the word is also used differently. In other sources kalasam means the closing stage, when the deity departs, and in the Wikipedia article on Theyyam the plural kalaasams means the ritual steps above. Context tells you which is meant.

Blessing and kuri

The part most visitors remember is the blessing. The deity speaks to devotees, listens to their troubles and may answer questions. In one account the deity gives a mark called kuri, a mixture of dried turmeric and rice powder. Some deities use sacred ash instead. Devotees receive it with respect.

Shared food and the farewell

At some shrines devotees share food offered from the grove. Then comes the farewell. The deity departs, and the koladhari gradually returns to the human state. Some traditions have a closing rite days afterwards, when the grounds are cleaned.

A note on Mudiyettu

You may also hear of Mudiyettu. It is a different ritual tradition of Kerala, which tells of the battle of the goddess Kali and the demon Darika. It is not a stage of a Theyyam.

Quick answers

What is thottam in Theyyam?

Thottam is the invocation, a ritual song that tells the deity’s story, sung before the full Theyyam. The koladhari wears only a small red headdress while it is sung.

What is vellattam?

Vellattam, also called vellattu, is an invocative ritual held before the actual Theyyam. Kerala Tourism describes it as equivalent to the thottam chant and more vibrant.

What is purappadu in Theyyam?

The word means “coming forth”. It is used for the moment when the fully dressed deity comes out of the green room and sets out towards the shrine ground.

How long does a Theyyam last?

A deity’s ritual is described as lasting from twelve to twenty-four hours with intervals, and the preparation alone can take many hours. It varies with the deity and the shrine.