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An eight-night journey through Kerala's living ritual and performance traditions: Kathakali and temple percussion at Kerala Kalamandalam and the temple festivals of Thrissur, then Theyyam in the village shrines of Kannur and Kasaragod, ending at Taj Bekal. Best from December to March.
Kerala's performing arts grew out of its temples and shrines, and many are still performed there rather than on stage. This journey follows them north. It begins in Thrissur, the cultural capital, where students at Kerala Kalamandalam train in Kathakali, Koodiyattam and temple drumming, and where the winter and spring temple festivals bring caparisoned elephants and percussion orchestras to the temple grounds.
From Thrissur you travel north by train or car to Kannur, the heart of Theyyam country. With a specialist guide who knows the shrines and their communities, you spend two or three nights at village kavus watching performers being painted and costumed and then becoming the deity. The journey ends at Taj Bekal, with Bekal Fort, a final Theyyam in Kasaragod and a short drive to Mangaluru airport.
Highlights
Day by day
We meet you at Cochin International Airport and drive about 1.5 hours north to Thrissur. Check in at the best modern hotel in the city, close to Swaraj Round. In the late afternoon, walk with a local guide around Thekkinkadu Maidan and the walls of the Vadakkunnathan temple, learning how the Thrissur Pooram is staged here each spring. Dinner at a traditional restaurant in the city.
Drive early to Kerala Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthy, where students practise Kathakali eye exercises, Mohiniyattam and chenda drumming in open halls from early morning. A guide explains each form, and where possible you meet a teacher. In the afternoon, rest. In the evening, from January to April, we take you to a temple festival nearby, where elephants line up and a percussion orchestra plays for hours.
Travel north to Kannur, either by private car along the coastal highway or, more comfortably, by fast train from Thrissur in about three hours, with luggage sent ahead. Check in at a heritage homestay near the coast. In the evening, visit the Parassinikadavu temple on the Valapattanam river for the Muthappan Theyyam, performed every day, where devotees of all faiths are welcome and served tea and lentils.
In the morning, visit St. Angelo Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1505, and the Arakkal Kettu museum of Kerala's only Muslim royal family. Rest through the afternoon. At dusk, your Theyyam guide takes you to a village kavu for the night's performance. Watch the make-up and costuming, the songs that call the deity, and the ritual itself. Stay as long as you wish; the most important forms continue until dawn.
Sleep late after the night's ritual. Late in the morning, visit a handloom unit to watch weavers at work and buy fabric, then drive to Thalassery for a lunch of its famous biryani, made with fragrant short-grain kaima rice, and a look at the old British fort. In the evening, a second Theyyam night is optional, ideally a different form from a different community.
Drive north along the coast, stopping at Payyanur and then at the Valiyaparamba backwaters near Nileshwar for a short private boat ride through the island-dotted lagoon. Continue to Taj Bekal Resort & Spa, set on the backwaters behind Kappil beach, and spend the afternoon resting by the pool or in the spa after the late nights in Kannur.
Visit Bekal Fort at opening time, when the 17th-century ramparts above the sea are cool and quiet, and climb the observation tower. The day is free. In the evening, your guide takes you to a village shrine in Kasaragod district for a final Theyyam, where you are likely to be among very few outside visitors. Return to the resort when you choose.
In the morning, visit the Ananthapura temple, a small shrine standing in a lake in the hills near Kumbla, said in local tradition to be the original seat of the deity of Thiruvananthapuram's Padmanabhaswamy temple. Rest in the afternoon. At sunset, walk the walls of Chandragiri Fort above the Chandragiri river and take a short boat ride towards the estuary.
After breakfast, we drive you about 1.5 hours north to Mangaluru International Airport for your onward flight. If your flight is late, there is time for a last walk on the beach or a visit to a local market. Our team in India stays in touch until you are through check-in.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A Taj resort on the backwaters behind Kappil beach near Bekal Fort, with villas inspired by Kerala houseboats, many with private pools, a large spa and …
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Questions travellers ask
Kathakali is a classical dance-drama with trained actors performing stories from the epics, using codified gestures and make-up. Theyyam is a ritual in which a hereditary performer is believed to become a local deity, blessing and speaking to devotees. One is theatre with temple roots; the other is worship.
December to March, when Theyyam is most frequent and Thrissur's temple festival season is under way. April is possible but hot, and Thrissur Pooram usually falls in late April or May. Kalamandalam is in session for much of the year outside vacations.
Yes, if you travel in late April or May and we time the journey to the festival date, which changes every year. Theyyam is less frequent by then but still performed. Book many months ahead, as Thrissur fills completely. Check current status before you travel.
The coastal highway is busy and under upgrading in places, and the drive takes about five hours. Fast trains cover the distance in about three hours in comfortable air-conditioned class. We send your luggage ahead by car and meet you at Kannur station.
No. It is a living religious ritual held for local communities, who welcome respectful visitors. There is no ticket and no stage. Your guide explains what is happening and where to stand, and helps you behave appropriately, including when photography is acceptable.
A shrine's Theyyam can run from dusk until dawn, with several forms over the night. Visitors come and go as they wish. We usually arrive for the make-up at dusk and stay until midnight or later. You can rest the following morning before the day's activities.
In Thrissur, the best modern city hotel available, near Swaraj Round. In Kannur, a heritage homestay on the coast with good home cooking. Neither city has a luxury resort, which is why the journey ends with three nights at Taj Bekal.
From about ₹2,40,000 per person, twin sharing, including hotels, a private car or train, specialist guides, the activities and boat rides listed. Peak season dates and pool villas at Taj Bekal cost more. Flights are extra. We send a detailed quote with room options once you share your dates.
Yes. A good 14-night plan begins with Fort Kochi, Munnar and the backwaters, then travels north via Thrissur for Kalamandalam and on to Kannur and Bekal for Theyyam, flying home from Mangaluru. We can design it around festival dates. Allow at least 14 nights.
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