Variyam

Mudiyattam: A Living Relic of Antiquity

Where Mortality Meets the Divine: Kerala’s Theyyam Temples

In an earlier article, I wrote about Theyyam and Thira and their possible connection to mortuary rituals in ancient Egypt. In Kerala…

The Ambalavasi

In my previous article on Pazhassi, I showed that founding rituals of temples in Kerala (and probably in the rest of south India) were…

Pazhassi

Nestled in a small clearing against a backdrop of blue-green peaks of the Sahyadri mountains, near Muzhakunnu in Kannur district of Kerala…

Theyyam and Thira

Theyyam is a religious ritual practiced in the North Malabar region of Kerala and some parts of neighboring Karnataka. It includes a divine…

The mythical mouse, the misnamed pig, and the divine boar

I have written previously about various esoteric deities venerated in Kerala’s temples and homes — Oachira Kala, the Creator’s living bull…

Sacred Waters Across Time

Across the Seas: The Possible Egyptian Origins of Madayikavu Bhagavathi

Madayikavu Bhagavathi is the tutelary deity of the Chirakkal Kovilakam, the erstwhile royal house of North Malabar.¹ The goddess is…

Tracing Egyptian Roots in Malayalam

Ancient Egyptian was not a static language. It evolved over millennia, and often, the hieroglyphs did not change in appearance whereas…

Purappad — coming forth

The ceremonial commencement of a Theyyam performance, marking the moment that the artist, having donned their sacred attire, begins their…

A Curious Hieroglyph and the Journey It Uncovered

What began as a cursory examination of an Egyptian hieroglyph developed into a broader inquiry into burial practices and linguistic…

From Good to Good: Tracing an Ancient Linguistic Connection between Egyptian and Malayalam

I have written previously about the linguistic connections between ancient Egyptian and Malayalam. Here, I look at the ancient Egyptian…