Author(s)

P. Vijisha^*, E. K. Govinda Varma Raja

School of Folklore Studies, University of Calicut, Kerala, India.

The renaissance movement led by Vaikundam Swamikal, Sreekumara Gurudevan, Ayyankali, Chattambi Swamikal, Dr. V. V. Velukkutty Arayan, Sahodharan Ayyappan, Swami Vakbhadananda and Swami Anantha Theertha was helping to eradicate untouchability from Kerala. The Temple entry proclamation by the erstwhile king of Travancore late Sri Chitra Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja on his 24th birthday (12th November 1936) proclaimed that all Hindus by birth or faith, despite their caste will be allowed enter to all temples under the governance of Travancore state. The Temple Madayi Kavu1 is traditionally owned by Kolathiri King of Chirakkal. But it is controlled by the Malabar Devaswam Board, an authorised body of Government of Kerala. The goddess of this temple is the family deity of Travancore royal family. Maari Theyyam is a traditional ritual performance of Madayi Kavu. This ritual is not allowed to be observed in the premises of Madayi Kavu. All other Theyyams are allowed to be performed in the premises of the temple. Maari Theyyam is performed away from the temple premises. It is a kind of untouchability towards Maari Theyyam. Here, we try to examine the pros and cons of the untouchability of the ritual Maari Theyyam.

Ritual, Untouchability, Prohibition

Vijisha, P. and Raja, E. (2016) Existence of Untouchability towards Maari Theyyam
—A Traditional Art Form of Kerala. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4, 260-263. doi: 10.4236/jss.2016.43032.