Gulikan

Who is Gulikan?

Gulikan is a powerful guardian worshipped in Kerala and, as Guliga, in the Tulu-speaking region of coastal Karnataka. He is linked in astrology with Shani and is understood as an aspect of Yama, the god of death. His shrines are usually small groves called kavus.

The story

Gulikan belongs to the old tradition of guardian deities who watch over a place and its people. Because of his link with time, fate and death, he is approached with respect and some caution, and is asked for protection rather than favours.

Hero photo: Shagil Muzhappilangad, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What you will see

Gulikan is among the most striking forms: the face is painted in sharp, stylised patterns, the movement is fast and forceful, and in some forms the Theyyam rises on tall stilts above a long palm-leaf skirt.

In the tradition

Gulikan is part of the wider kaliyattam tradition and has parallels in the Bhuta Kola worship of Tulu Nadu.

Quick answers

Who is Gulikan in Theyyam?

Gulikan is a powerful guardian worshipped in Kerala and, as Guliga, in the Tulu-speaking region of coastal Karnataka. He is linked in astrology with Shani and is understood as an aspect of Yama, the god of death. His shrines are usually small groves called kavus.

What does Gulikan Theyyam look like?

Gulikan is among the most striking forms: the face is painted in sharp, stylised patterns, the movement is fast and forceful, and in some forms the Theyyam rises on tall stilts above a long palm-leaf skirt.

Sources and further reading: Gulikan Theyyam (Wikipedia), Theyyam (Wikipedia). Stories vary by shrine, family and teller; this is a general summary, not a definitive version.