Honorable Mention
Becoming a God
DESCRIPTION
Theyyam is one of the most ancient folk religious dance rituals of worship, in Kerala’s North Malabar region.The people of this district consider Theyyam itself as a god and thus they seek blessings from it.
Although several religions are infused in the Theyyam cult, it is mother goddess Bhagavathi, with all her incarnations, that has the most prevalent place.
During the ritual, the dancer gradually "metamorphoses" into the particular deity. The performance signifies the transitional reversal and elevation of status of the Theyyam from profane to sacred, from secular to deity.
AUTHOR
Although a Civil Engineer in profession, I turned out as an amateur travel photographer having traveled to numerous countries around the world such as Ethiopia, India, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Benin, Haiti, Cuba etc. My main goal is to capture the uniqueness of the local cultures and the life of the people in the most remote places of our world, emphasizing on syncretism between rare religions and rituals. My pictures have been awarded multiple awards in many prestigious photo competitions and have been published in many books and magazines. 