Kannur: With another theyyam season getting in, the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), Kannur is all geared up to exploit the enormous tourism potential of the festival season which attracts hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists to the northern part of Kerala. The council has set up a dedicated help desk exclusively for Theyyam enthusiasts to get all the information they require about theyyam. What's more, the authority is offering all arrangements - like accommodation, and transportation for visitors who arrive in the district to experience the ritualistic folk art this season.

Kannur DTPC secretary Jijeesh Kumar said that Theyyam is a major attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists. Recently, folk art received more attention from overseas audiences. Now, tourists from many countries especially US and the European countries plan their trips keeping the Theyyam season in mind. Similarly, people from various Indian states are also visiting Kannur and other North Kerala districts to experience the vibrant ritualistic art. However, the lack of facility to get accurate information on the date, time and venue of theyyam, accommodation and travel facilities is always a worry for tourists. We have decided to address the issue, making all arrangements including accommodation and travel facilities to tourists arriving from outside the district," he added.

Theyyam help desk
DTPC has set up a help desk to ease the difficulties of tourists who wish to visit the district to explore the theyyam season. Tourists living across the globe can call the dedicated telephone number to contact specially assigned officials for any assistance they require. The local tour operators and travel operators are also working in close coordination with the help desks. The help desk at the DTPC office can be accessed by calling 9447524545.

Theyyam calender
DTPC secretary added that his office has been getting many calls regularly from tourists seeking information like the location and date of theyyam performance. "We don't have a single website that provides all information about the ritual art to a tourist. If we provide such details as date, time and location of theyyam performance will help the tourists to plan their journey accordingly. To address the issue, DTPC prepared a detailed theyyam calendar which provides exact dates and places of theyyam performance in the district. In addition, types of theyyam, time of performance and phone numbers of organisers, etc will also be provided. The data was collected from people who are associated with the art in the district," said the DTPC secretary.

The theyyam calender comprises data on performance at 400 various locations in the district. “The calendar offers accurate information about performance in each location and is available on the official website of Kannur DTPC (dtpckannur.com)," the officer added.

Accommodation and travel facility
The DTPC is also making arrangements for the accommodation of tourists who reach the district to experience the art. "DTPC does not have its own stay facilities like hotels. However, we are associating with the state-run Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) which has a hotel network. Those who need accommodation facilities will be connected with KTDC. In addition, we will also help tourists to get connected with authorised homestays and private hotels. The council is also facilitating travel facilities for tourists in association with private travel agencies.

The season lasts till June
The theyyam season began with the observation of the sacred day 'Pathamudayam' on the 10th day of the Malayalam month Thulam and the festival spirit will rule North Kerala with the performance at around 2000 different locations in Kannur, Kasargod and Wayanad till second week of June.  

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