When Maaritheyyam appears, the quiet lanes of Kerala's rural villages transform into a stage of awe. Figures stride forward draped entirely in tender palm leaves, their bodies concealed in swaying green skirts and cloaks. From beneath the towering leaf headgear, faces painted in fierce reds and blacks or hidden behind elongated masks stare out with a raw, elemental power. Each step is measured to the pulse of the thudi drum and the metallic clang of the chengila, creating a rhythm that feels as ancient as the land itself.

Maaritheyyam is performed in and around Madayikkavu, Kannur, during the month of Karkkidakam (July–August). Known also as Karkkidaka Theyyam or Maariyattam, it belongs to a season marked by scarcity and storms called 'panja maasam', the month of suffering. The very word "Maari" means affliction, and the performance is believed to banish sorrow while preparing for Chingam, the month of renewal.