When Ramya Sriram reached the temple grounds in north Kerala, she knew it would be intense. Theyyam nights always are.

By the time the performance began, the space was packed. Drums echoed against the walls. Flames rose and dipped. People leaned in close, trying to hold their view as performers moved through the crowd in towering headgear and layered costume. It was loud, warm, and alive in a way that is hard to describe unless you have stood there yourself.

Ramya had come to document the performance, as she had done before. She moved carefully, aware of the crowd pressing from behind and the heat from the fire in front. In........

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