-
29 Jan to 02 Feb, 2025
Price – ₹50,250/-
per person
(Shared Occupancy)Max participants: 7 only (Trip Full)
-
Theyyam – A festival where a man turns into God for a short duration!
Theyyam is an ancient ritual celebration that happens across the villages of North Kerala. The performer propitiates the deity by entering into trance and dancing feverishly in the premises of a temple. The costume and make-up is very vivid and sometimes frightening. The performances are in an open theatre and are often accompanied by various musical instruments and vocal recitations. Some Theyyams are very intense and may often involve jumping across fire or dancing with lamps on the body. There are a variety of Theyyams celebrated (some say upto 400 different ones). Each is different from the next and they are celebrated across North Kerala in many places until the monsoon begins.
This is a spectacle to be celebrated by photographers too! The colours and lighting can be mind-boggling and the variety of situations makes it very interesting. Your Darter Photography mentor will accompany you through the tour and help you make the best of Theyyam celebrations. Join us on this epic celebration in Kannur and make some incredible photographs! And, of course, great friends and memories for a lifetime.
Jump to section: Itinerary ◆ Is This Tour For You? ◆ Tour Price ◆ Your Photography Mentor ◆ Join This Photography Tour
Itinerary – Photographing Theyyams of North Kerala
Day 1. Arrive in Kannur. Please arrive before 4 pm to ensure that you are in good time for the initial briefing and we might go out for a shoot at night.
Travelling to Kannur:
1. Kannur Airport: Kannur has an international airport, which is connected directly with a few cities in India and also in the Middle East.
2. Kannur Train Station: Kannur (station code: CAN) is well-connected by train from all major cities.
3. Buses: Overnight buses connect Kannur with major cities across South India.
Please contact if you need assistance planning your travel to Kannur.
We will have a briefing and instructions from your mentor in the evening, approximately around 4 pm today.
It is possible that we may also have some Theyyams scheduled in the later hours of the day, in which case we will start shooting right away.
Days 2 to 4: We will be visiting several Theyyam celebrations during the course of these three days. The schedules of Theyyams can be very fluid. Some of them often run late into the night and even early hours of the morning. On these three days, we would be shooting depending on Theyyam’s schedules during the day and at night. Be prepared for an erratic sleep schedule!
On one of the evenings, we will have an exclusive Kalarippayattu photography session next to a beachside location.
Depending on Theyyam’s schedules, we may also be able to enjoy an evening of sunset by the beach.
Day 5: The tour ends after breakfast today.
Is this tour for you?
If you are curious to experience and photograph the splendour of Theyyams, this tour is for you. There is no prerequisite in terms of photography equipment or skills of the participants. Our photography mentors will interact closely with every participant and work with you to make beautiful travel images of Theyyam.
If you are not a photographer but are keen to see and experience the Theyyams of North Kerala, you are also welcome to join this group. Please note that we don’t offer a different non-photographer pricing.
Visit our tour faq to know more details about how our photography tours are conducted.
Tour Price
Tour price: Rs.50,250/- per person.
The cost includes
The cost does not include
– 50% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations between 59 days and 45 before the start of a tour.
– 80% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations between 44 days and 31 days before the start of a tour.
– No refund for cancellation within 30 days of the tour start date or for a no-show.
Your Photography Mentor: Manish Lakhani
Few people can boast of having travelled the high Himalayas like Manish has. For more than 15 years, he has explored these mountains extensively on foot, on bicycles and on two and four-wheels, often making his own path. He is a versatile photographer with a history of creating brilliant images of culture, heritage and landscapes.
He is renowned for his unique portrayal of remote cultures and traditions. He has photographed the cultural heritage across all four corners of India, including the Changpa shepherds of the Himalayan Highlands, the native tribes of Nagaland, the nomads of Kutch and the rich traditions of Kerala.
He is a Sony Artisan (Ambassador) in India for mirrorless camera system and a Skylum Global Brand Ambassador for Asia. His works have been regularly featured in magazines across the world. He contributes to Adobe, BBC, WWF, CNN, Lonely Planet and many others regularly.
An avid cyclist, he has done an incredible solo bicycling trip of 15,000 kilometres across India. He visited many states of India, meeting different people, experiencing diverse cultures and making some incredible photographs along the journey. He has since led many expeditions in the high-altitude regions of Ladakh.
He has been mentoring photography enthusiasts for several years now and is known for his exuberant personality, in-depth knowledge of the terrain, expedition organization skills and, of course, his keen eye for photography.
You can follow him on Instagram, Facebook and on his website.
Registration Details
Please fill in the form below to sign up for the tour or if you have any further questions about the tour. You may also email us at photography@darter.in or call Shreeram (+91-9740083260) / Manish (+91 9998866669)