Pottan

Who is Pottan?

Pottan is a form of the divine that speaks against caste discrimination. In many tellings he is understood as Shiva in the guise of a low-caste man. Pottan is a lively, colourful ritual and an important part of the cultural heritage of the old Kolathunadu region.

The story

The legend says that Pottan was walking along the road with a child on his hip and a pot of toddy on his head when he met the scholar Adi Shankara. The scholar told him to leave the road so that he would not be polluted. Pottan asked why. He pointed out that the scholar crossed the same rivers, offered the same bananas to his god and wore the same garlands, and that both men bleed the same blood when wounded.

In the story Shankara realises his error and asks for forgiveness. The Theyyam keeps the question alive as a lesson in humility and equality.

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

What you will see

Pottan wears a skirt of palm-leaf strips, a small headdress and a painted face, and carries a pot. The ritual is lively and vivid. After the ritual, devotees may speak to him and receive his answer.

In the tradition

Some families keep a small shrine called a palliyara for Pottan. The ritual often includes a large fire for the deity to rest beside, and people may call on him to get up.

Quick answers

Who is Pottan in Theyyam?

Pottan is a form of the divine that speaks against caste discrimination. In many tellings he is understood as Shiva in the guise of a low-caste man. Pottan is a lively, colourful ritual and an important part of the cultural heritage of the old Kolathunadu region.

What does Pottan Theyyam look like?

Pottan wears a skirt of palm-leaf strips, a small headdress and a painted face, and carries a pot. The ritual is lively and vivid. After the ritual, devotees may speak to him and receive his answer.

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