Kandakarnan

Who is Kandakarnan?

Kandakarnan is a fierce deity of North Malabar who is understood as a form of Shiva’s attendants, close to Bhairava. He is held at kavus and ancestral homes in Kannur and Kasaragod, usually in the cooler months of the season. People often speak of him in connection with illness: he is believed to ward off disease, above all the epidemics that were once feared, such as smallpox.

The story

Accounts of his birth differ. One says that Shiva’s anger, roused when his sweat was asked for, took shape as Kandakarnan, who was then sent to the goddess Bhadrakali and relieved her of the pox that troubled her. Another ties him to the same battle against the demon Darika from which Vasoorimala is said to have come.

When he appears with Vasoorimala, the goddess is seen as the sickness and Kandakarnan as the one who contains it. As elsewhere, tellings vary by shrine and family.

Hero photo: Amith Koroth, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

What you will see

The koladhari, the person who takes the kolam, wears a tall frame of palm leaf or a large headdress and attire built to be safe near flame, with large bells at the ears and body. The name is often connected with karna, the ear. The face is painted in red, black and white, which takes several hours. The best-known form is Agni Kandakarnan, in which burning torches are tied around the waist, as in the photograph above, and the deity moves among fire. Fire here stands for the burning away of harm.

The ritual ends with devotees coming forward with lamps and prayers to ask for guidance and a blessing.

Koladhari: the person who takes on the kolam, the deity’s form. See Theyyam words explained.

In the tradition

Kandakarnan is held at kavus such as those at Thalassery, Pinarayi and Ezhimala in Kannur, and at shrines in Kasaragod, mostly between November and April. In some places the ritual takes place before dawn.

Quick answers

Who is Kandakarnan in Theyyam?

Kandakarnan is a fierce deity of North Malabar who is understood as a form of Shiva’s attendants, close to Bhairava. He is held at kavus and ancestral homes in Kannur and Kasaragod, usually in the cooler months of the season. People often speak of him in connection with illness: he is believed to ward off disease, above all the epidemics that were once feared, such as smallpox.

What does Kandakarnan Theyyam look like?

The koladhari, the person who takes the kolam, wears a tall frame of palm leaf or a large headdress and attire built to be safe near flame, with large bells at the ears and body. The name is often connected with *karna*, the ear. The face is painted in red, black and white, which takes several hours. The best-known form is Agni Kandakarnan, in which burning torches are tied around the waist, as in the photograph above, and the deity moves among fire. Fire here stands for the burning away of harm. The ritual ends with devotees coming forward with lamps and prayers to ask for guidance and a blessing.

Stories vary by shrine, family and teller; this is a general summary, not a definitive version.