Does This Video Show Christian And Muslim Priests Appointed In Hindu Temples In Kerala? No, Viral Performance Exhibits Communal Harmony

A video is going viral across social media showing an Islamic call to prayer during a ritual in a temple. The video is being shared with the claim that Christian and Muslim priests are bringing their rituals in Hindu places of worship in Kerala.

Claim:

The video shows a person issuing an Islamic call to prayer. A figure is seated beside this person and is seen dressed in heavy religious attire. Priests can be seen walking around performing rituals in what appears to be a Hindu place of worship.

Twitter user @RoopDarak shared the video with the claim, “This is happening in Kerala as they deployed Christian & Muslim priest in Hindu temples.”

It is being widely shared on Facebook and Twitter with a similar claim.

Fact Check:

We conducted a reverse image search on the viral video and came across a YouTube video uploaded on December 25, 2022, titled, ‘Bapiriyan and Manichi together call for communal harmony in this unique theyyam form!’

A narrator states over footage from the viral video, “The viral video shows Theyyam performance where Islamic prayer is called in Madikai temple of Kasargod district…As soon as this clip surfaced on the internet, people are happy to see such communal harmony.

We also came across a report by Times Now published on January 16, 2023, titled, ‘'Our unity is centuries old': Hindu ritualistic dance Theyyam begins with an Islamic prayer in Kerala [WATCH]’. The article’s thumbnail features a snapshot from the viral video.

“Theyyam is a Hindu ritualistic dance that is practised in northern Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Also known as Kaliyattaa or Tira, it consists of traditions, rituals and customs associated with temples and sacred groves of Malabar,” the Times Now report reads.

The Times Now report notes that males mainly perform Theyyam, and about 456 types of Theyyams have been documented. The report also notes that the Theyyam season starts on the tenth day of the Malayalam month of Thulam and lasts up to seven months.

“The main Theyyam dance is performed in front of the village shrine. It may also be performed in the houses as ancestor worships with elaborate rites and rituals,” the Times Now report further adds.

In our Fact Check, we also came across a report by Indian Express published on January 16, 2023, titled, ‘Watch: This performance of Hindu ritualistic dance Theyyam begins with an Islamic prayer’. The Indian Express report talks about India’s syncretic nature and how several traditions have absorbed bits from different religions due to the diversity of faiths in the country. “The inclusion of Islamic practices in Theyyam performances is a prime example of such assimilation,” the Indian Express report adds.

“Theyyam is a Hindu ritualistic dance performed in northern Kerala and parts of Karnataka, often by people from Scheduled Castes, who are treated as God-like entities during the brief act. While most Theyyam performances depict Hindu and tribal fables, in some areas, the dance form even includes Muslim characters,” the IE report reads.

Further elaborating on the history of Theyyam performances, we conducted another keyword search which threw up a report by The Hindu published on May 23, 2019, titled, ‘United colours of Theyyam’

“Few are aware that though Theyyam is a traditional Hindu ritualistic art form, by including Muslim characters, it has been celebrating communal harmony. In north Kerala, Muslims are generally addressed as Mappla (colloquial of Mappila). Thus the Muslim Theyyams are generally known as Mappila Theyyam. While most of them are deified in Kasaragod district and performed by members of the Mavilan and Koppalan communities, in Kannur district, it is mainly performed by the Vannans…”

Conclusion:

We found that the viral video does not show Christian and Muslim priests participating in Hindu rituals as per a supposed order of the Kerala government. The video shows the inclusion of Islamic practices in Theyyam performances as an example of religious harmony, as per media reports. The religious dance form also includes Muslim characters in an effort for communal harmony. Hence, the viral claim is false.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

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