Thira Living Culture of Thousand years

Tripoto
18th Mar 2017
Photo of Thira Living Culture of Thousand years 1/5 by Vivek Muraleedharan
Thira is a ritual dance performed in Bhagavati temples of the North Malabar region in Kerala State, South India.
Photo of Thira Living Culture of Thousand years 2/5 by Vivek Muraleedharan
Thira brings the gods to life. Performers dress up with ceremonial facial paint and loud clothing and dance in front of the deity, the bhagavathi. The objective clearly is to bring a sense of awe to the proceedings. Each performer represents a particular deity and is sponsored by devotees .
Photo of Thira Living Culture of Thousand years 3/5 by Vivek Muraleedharan
Photo of Thira Living Culture of Thousand years 4/5 by Vivek Muraleedharan
These dancers are viewed as being possessed by the gods when they are in their act, with devotees queuing up to meet them to share woes and wishes.
Photo of Thira Living Culture of Thousand years 5/5 by Vivek Muraleedharan