Poomaruthan

Who is Poomaruthan?

Poomaruthan is a god of North Malabar who is worshipped together with the goddess Poomala. His name joins “poo”, a flower, and “maruthan”, wind.

The story

Poomala was admiring a heavenly garden and wanted to pick flowers, but the guards stopped her. She asked for help from one of the guards, who was resting in a blossom in the form of wind. He helped, and became her brotherly friend. They later travelled together to Malanadu in a great wooden ship built by Vishwakarma and came ashore on the North Malabar coast, where they settled and are worshipped.

Hero photo: Vaikoovery, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What you will see

Poomaruthan has a painted face with a black moustache and beard, and a very large wooden headdress. He carries a sword and a wooden shield, and turns the shield as he moves. All the materials for the attire and face paint come from natural sources.

In the tradition

Poomaruthan appears in the shrines of Poomala Bhagavathi, who herself does not appear as a Theyyam. In some practice, assistants gather and shout to provoke the Theyyam, who may tap them with his shield.

Quick answers

Who is Poomaruthan in Theyyam?

Poomaruthan is a god of North Malabar who is worshipped together with the goddess Poomala. His name joins “poo”, a flower, and “maruthan”, wind.

What does Poomaruthan Theyyam look like?

Poomaruthan has a painted face with a black moustache and beard, and a very large wooden headdress. He carries a sword and a wooden shield, and turns the shield as he moves. All the materials for the attire and face paint come from natural sources.

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