ABSTRACT
Kerala state in India was a major hub for immigrants for many centuries. Many of the cultures and rituals today are the result of the contributions that these immigrants brought to Kerala. With the growth of diasporas and their transnational activities, various native religions and cultures are not only transported to new places but also adopted strategies to re-create their religion which includes rituals, practices, folklore, etc. Theyyam performances are one such folk art forms of Kerala which have received considerable popularity in the Indian diaspora in recent time. The folk arts tell us about its village culture, the agricultural life, village life and the folk community itself. This chapter tries to argue how local religious ritual art forms of Kerala transported to the diaspora and become transnational as a result of their innovative performances across the diaspora. Through an ethnographic inquiry, the chapter tries to understand the dynamics of Theyyam performances in the diaspora; how it creates a specific cultural and localized identity among the Malayalis in the Indian diaspora; and, most importantly, how the performance is changed when it is performed.
