Mukri Pokker Theyyam
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Aneesh Maloth, dressed in a white vest with sleeves and white checkered lungi, walks in the direction of the temple to the accompaniment of beats on a chenda. He wears a cranium cap, sports activities a pretend black moustache and carries a sword and defend. On the temple premises, he recites the azaan (Islamic name to prayer) and provides namaz (prayer). Devotees gathered on the temple watch as he performs and search his blessings. This is just not a piece of fiction. It occurs yearly at Malom Koolom Bhagavathy Temple close to Vellarikkundu in Kasaragod district.
Aneesh is Mukri Pokker, a Mappila Theyyam, a variant of Theyyam in which Muslim characters are revered as gods. Ashraf Thoonery has showcased this Theyyam in his documentary Mukri with Chamundi : The Saga of Harmony in Theyyam Art.
Mukri Pokker Theyyam providing namaz on the temple premises
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Mappila is the colloquial time period for Muslims that’s used in many elements of Kerala and mukri means muezzin, who recites the azaan.
“Theyyam becomes a symbol of religious harmony and unity in Mappila Theyyam. I came across a small article about Mukri Pokker Theyyam in a newspaper and that intrigued me. I decided to find out more about it and that research eventually led to this documentary. I found that it is staged even in places that do not have a predominantly Muslim population as in the case of Malom,” says Ashraf, a journalist now working in Qatar.
Theyyam, the age-old ritualistic artwork kind of North Kerala, usually referred to as the enchanting dance of the deities, expresses the bodily presence of a deity, a Hindu god or goddess or a personality from folks tales or a commemorated individual. There are round 400 Theyyams in Kerala and Mukri Pokker is among the many 15-odd Mappila Theyyams carried out in temples of North Kerala, particularly at these in Kannur and Kasaragod. An underlying facet of Mappila Theyyams is that the characters are spirits of somebody good or evil who’s killed or punished by the god or goddess.
Mukri Pokker Theyyam
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu
Myth behind the artwork
The story of Mukri Pokker is that he got here from Ullal in Karnataka to Kooloth tharavadu (ancestral home) to take care of the affairs of the home. But he acquired romantically concerned with a lady there thus inviting the wrath of the members of the family. One day he was discovered lifeless beneath mysterious circumstances. Although it was inconceivable to kill him as a result of he was sporting a talisman, it’s believed that he was killed when he took off the talisman to take a shower. When the tharavadu confronted issues an astrologer was consulted and it was suggested that Mukri Pokker even be handled as a Theyyam with different Theyyams staged on the tharavadu yearly.
While Theyyam is extra of a spectacle with the artists donning elaborate make-up (facial portray), captive head gear and different gildings, Mukri Theyyam sports activities nothing of the kind. It is among the many 11 Theyyams carried out at Malom and often is staged alongside Theyyams comparable to Mandalath Chamundi, Dandyanganath Bhagavathy, Vishnumurthy and Gulikan. The documentary exhibits how the artistes who carry out as Mukri Pokker and Chamundi search the blessings of their ancestors and mentors at a delegated area referred to as pathi close to their home in the presence of Mooppan, the pinnacle of the neighborhood.
Ashraf Thoonery (left) with Kannan Mooppan
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“Aneesh who becomes Mukri Pokker learnt how to perform the ritual ablutions before the prayer and the prayer itself from a revered person from the Muslim community,” Ashraf says. While individuals from the Maavilan and Koppaalan communities carry out Theyyam in Kasaragod, it’s performed by these in Vannan neighborhood in Kannur.
Among different Mappila Theyyams are Aali, Aandi, Bappiriyan, Kunjali, Mammu, and Mammadu which can be male Theyyams, whereas Ummachi and Neythyaar are feminine Theyyams. “The legends associated with these Theyyams are different.”
In the case of Aali Theyyam carried out at Kumbala Aarikkudy Bhagavathy Temple in Kasaragod, Aali was a black magician who was punished by the goddess for misbehaving with ladies. The folklore behind Kalanthan Mukri Theyyam staged at Kamballur, additionally in Kasaragod, is that he was killed by an evil power and the spirit turned one with the diety, Karinchamundi.
The documentary additionally throws light on different cases of how Theyyam turns into a bridge between Hindu and Muslim communities.
At the annual Kaliyatta Mahotsavam at Sree Paadarkulangara Bhagavathi temple in Perumbatta, a village close to Malom, the Theyyam enters the courtyard of close by Perumbatta Juma Masjid to conclude the efficiency.
The 18-minute documentary is scripted by Abdulla Abdul Hameed and Mujeeb Kariyaden. Camera is by Manoj AK and Sonu Damodhar. Editor is Anees Swaghathamadu. “We have got invites for screening from various universities and colleges. It is being sent to various film festivals after which it will be streamed on social media,” Ashraf says.