Born as an orphan boy in the forest, a very clever farmer who fought against the soil and the mountains and cultivated hundreds of crops, finally burned to death in the same forest. The genesis of Kandanar Kelan is based on the tragic end of the life of a farmer named Kelan and his divine rebirth.
The Meledathu Tharavad was a big family in a place called Kunneru near Ezhimala. The Meledathu Tharavad were the owners of Poonkunam, a place where the four forests of Mukutty Kadu, Moovar Kunnu, Nalla Tenga and Karimbanakadu meet in the Wayanad Hills. Chakkiamma, the matriarch of Meledathu Tharavad, had no children, and one day Chakkiamma got a glorious baby boy from the Mukutty forest in Poonkunam, Wayanad. Chakkiamma took the baby to the MeledathuTharavad and brought him up as her own son and named him Kelan. Kelan grew up to be a very clever and brave farmer. He reaped a hundred harvests on the land sown by Kellan. Due to Kelan’s skill, the land of Kunneru became prosperous.
Chakkiamma was very happy with Kalan’s talent. Chakkiamma asked Kelan to clear the Poongunam forest of Wayanad, the land of Meledathu Family, and make it suitable for agriculture. Heeding his mother’s demand, Kelan left for Poonkunam. Kelan drank all the toddy in the house before leaving, taking a bow, string, and tools made of steel and iron. Kellan kept a bottle of toddy in his hand and another in his bag to drink on the way.
When Kelan reached the Poongunam, he first drank all the toddy he had brought, and then he started cutting the four forests. Except for the Karinelli tree which was in the fourth forest, all the other forests were cleared by Kellan. Then all the cleared forests were set on fire. Kellan set fire to the forests in a very dangerous way because he was intoxicated with toddy. He set fire to the first and second forests on all four sides, and when the fire started, he very daringly ran away through the spreading fire. Drunkenness and excitement, the Kelan destroyed the third forest in the same way. Seeing this highly daring action of Kelan, nature got angry, and when the fourth forest was set on fire, the wind blew and the fire spread out of control, burning so high on all four sides that Kelan could never escape. Then the fellow saw the Karinelli tree which he had left uncut. She screamed for her life and ran into it. But above that tree there were serpents named Kaliya and Karivela. Because of the fire and smoke that Kelan saw crawling towards the tree, the snakes, full of rage, crawled on Kelan’s body and bit into his left chest and right chest. Kelan fell into the fire with two nagas spread around his chest, both Kelan and the nagas were burnt to ashes. At that time, Lord Shiva’s golden son Thondachan Wayanatu Kulavan God. Thondachan saw the burnt human form of ashes with two snakes on its body. Thondachan stretched out his bow and touched it, thereby giving life to the Ashes. Looking at the reincarnated Kelan with two snakes figures on his body, Thondachan said, you will be known as Kandanar Kelan. Thondachan give place to Kelan in his left hand side, and provided weapon in his hand and provided him puja.
Kelan, who touched by the feet of the Wayanad Kulavan, became a God. As time went by, Kandanar Kelan’s Theyyam was performed up in Malanadu. Kandanar kelan is performed up in most places in the form of Kolaswaropa. The Kandanar Kelan artist needs a lot of flexibility and energy. Kandanar Kelan will run in fire, reminiscent of the story of Kelan, who was ashes in the fire. The Kandanar Kelan Theyam will run through the fire in both directions. Kandanar Kelan Theyyam will have two snakes symbol pained on his body, that reminds two snakes burned with Kelan from Poomkunam.
