His name is Pottan Teyyam, the god of the Pulyans, the Untouchables of North Malabar, Kerala. The word ‘ Pottan’ means in Malayalam deaf and dumb. ‘Teyyam” is said to be a folk expression for the word ‘Deivam’, meaning god.
He was called Pottan because he was the god of a mute, the Untouchables deprived of voice by the Law of Manu which entitled the higher castes to free service by them. In the song (tottam) of Pottan, he is depicted as keeping watch over the rice fields of Kerala, an obvious reference to the toil of his people. Lo and behold there comes against him an high caste ‘chovar’, other higher castes ‘machar”, & “elanko’, other religionists, the Muslim ‘Koya’ are in his company. The allusion may be to the collusion of the rich and powerful regardless of their caste and religion against the impoverished slave : – “Seeing Pottan, the chovar shouts “get off the way, a little Pulaya (polluted fellow), a little Pulayi’ (polluted woman). To which Pottan replies : I have a baby in my arms, today on my head, on one side of me is the thorny bush and the other side is the forest. How can I give way to you ? It may be that you travel on elephants while we travel on buffallows : but is it a reason for this wrangling over birth and caste ? Isn’t blood that comes when you are cut ; Why then this quarrel over birth and caste ? You may wear garlands of lotus but we do also wear strings of flowers. Isn’t rice you cook ? Isn’t the same rice we boil ? Why then this wrangling over birth and caste ? Didn’t you break open the coconut we gave you? Didn’t you find water in it ?. The knife you wield is sharp, the knife we wield is also sharp. Isn’t blood that gushes out if you are cut? Why then is this wrangling over birth and caste ? We raise plantains in our backyards, the fruit there of you offer to your gods, we tender Tulasis in our front-yards ; with these Tulasis you do puja to your gods. Why then this difference and discrimination ‘O Chover’ ? When 33 trees were planted, only three of them sprouted up ; the flower of that tree in bloom I hold in my hands. Why then this difference and discrimination, ‘O Chovar’ ? when a boat comes from further shore, a boat goes away from this shore ; It is in that boat you go, it is in that boat we also 90 ………… crossing over the river we reach the yonder shore we meet the creator of perfect bliss. ”
This song of Pottan Teyyam is a powerful religious protest against caste oppression. Pottan condemns caste and teaches a religion of human equality. His language is simple, direct and refers to the social practices of his day His arguments are drawn from the fact of common human nature and faith in one god. One may wonder why then this religious symbol of Pottan Teyyam against caste oppression and injustice paved no role in the emancipation of the Pulayas ., I think there are two important reasons for this. (1) The overall religious outlook of the Untouchables and of the people around them has continued to be magical and superstitious. They have prostituted the very symbol of Pottan Teyyam into one of a magical god. For instance the great marvel about Pottan Teyyam is not his teaching on the fundmental human equality regardless of one’s wealth and position in society but the magic power with which he can fall into a heap of burning embers, walk over it and play in it. At the celebration of his Teyyam festival everyone comes to watch Pottan Teyyam dance and play in the fire and no thought is given to his teaching. When I asked the Teyyam dancer why the occasion is not made use of to expound the great teachings of Pottan Teyyam in the context of the struggles of the Untouchables in our times for social and economic equality, the answer was that “religion should not be concerned about such wordly matters. The purpose of Teyyam dance is to experience god. As a dancer of the Pottan Teyyam, I should be above such mundane matters”. The idea of worship prevalent among the devotees of Potten is that the god will be pleased if his Teyyam is celebrated with fire walking, offering of chicken and toddy. Many even today believe that diseases, misfortunes, conflicts and strains in personal relation are caused by evil spirits or the evil influence of the stars. Though hospitals and other agencies are made use of in dealing with them, they also consult astrologers and perform rituals to appease the evil powers. In short in their simple faith it is ultimately through religious categories & symbols they understand and cope with their economic condition, social situation and personal conflicts. In other words the historic-cultural world in which they live is believed to be the product of gods. They do not imagine that they can shape it by their activities and make history. On the other hand the few who understand the socio-economic world as the product of historical forces do not look up to Pottan Teyyam to bring about changes as they have written off all religion as of no practical value. (2) In the given circumstances the economic and social odds against Untouchables, prevent all possibilities of Pottan Teyyam emerging as god of Iiberation among the Untouchables. Pulayas are so poor that rarely they own a permanent place of worship dedicated to Pottan Teyyam. Temporary sheds are erected in some isolated corner or on govt. lands to be pulled down soon after the Teyyam celebration. Absence of a permanent place of worship, as well as the low esteem with which Pottan Teyyam is held by the higher castes compel the younger generation among the Pulayas to abandon their traditional community god for the sake some god who is popular among the higher castes & whose shrine is open to all castes. Some even believe that Pottan Teyyam is an evil spirit. It is « even impossible for an Untouchable to keep a picture of Pottan Teyyam in his humble hut as pictures of the gods of these lowly people are not printed. They buy picture of the gods of the higher castes. Potten Teyyam is of course a religious symbol of protest against caste domination. But the traditional social, economical and political setup made him yet another instrument of the overlordship of the higher castes over the Puiays. For instance, the Teyyam festival should be celebrated only after taking permission from the old Chirakkal Royal family. A Pulayan is made a Teyyam dancer with the approval of the Royal Palace. His competence is recognised, judged and given different titles by the royal family, A Nambudiri Brahmin priest is brought to do a purification ceremony at the start of the festival of Pottan Teyyam. In other words the god who condemned caste oppression is made subservient to the caste-class power structure existing in the society. There are many gods among the Untouchables all over India who are voices of protest against caste oppression and injustice. However the magical world view of the great majority of the Untouchables coupled with the traditional tendency within the Hindu culture to understand these gods as ‘parts’ or ‘forms’ of the so called higher gods make them effectively ‘deaf and dumb’ (Pottan). In addition to this, the economic and social dependence of the Untouchables on the higher castes makes the gods of Untouchables yet another instruments in the hands of the dominant caste-classes to perpetuate their hold on them. Will the songs of these ‘deaf and dumb gods’ be ever heard over these double sound barrier of magical world view of Untouchables & of the structure of social power over their religion exercised by the higher castes is.a mute question as the Pottan god himself.
