Buta Kola

Būta Kōlā (Tulu: Bhūta Kōla), also referred to as Bhūta Kolam, Daiva Kōlā or Daiva Nēmā, is a Hindu folk dance performance practised, believed and protected by the Tuluvas of Tulu Nadu and parts of Malenadu of Karnataka and Kasargod in northern Kerala, India. The dance is highly stylised and performed as part of "Bhootaradhane" or "Bhootharadhanam" or worship of the local deities of the Tulu-speaking population in South India. It has influenced Yakshagana folk theatre. Būta kōlā is closely related to Theyyam of North Malabar region and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is an evolved form of Būta Kōla. Theyyam, in turn, shares similarities with a similar Hindu folk dance called Thirayattam.

It involves extended chanting of mantras and ceremonial preparations that typically span 8 to 10 hours. The ritual culminates with the placement of the mudi (sacred headgear) on the performer, a moment believed to mark the entry of the deity into the performer’s body. As part of the process, the performer consumes madhyam (toddy), which is believed to suppress the person's consciousness, allowing the divine consciousness of the deva to manifest. This practice aligns with philosophical concepts found in Hindu texts such as the Yoga Vasistha, which describe how divine entities (devatas) can enter the human body, parakāya praveśanam at a Paramanu level. Hinduism traditionally recognises a multiplicity of devatas, often cited as 33 koti devatas along with the trinity Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara and with the idea of Brahman, the highest universal principle.