Karinkutti Sasthappan Theyyam is a type of Kuttichathan theyyam that is worshipped during the annual theyyam kaliyattam thira festival in Kannur and Kasaragod region of Kerala. As per information, Karinkutti Sasthappan is a wish fulfilling deity but at the same time dangerous and naughty. This theyyam wears a dark color kolam. As per Karinkutti Sasthappan story, Sasthappan was born to Shiva and Goddess Parvati who took the form of Valluvan and Valluvathi. They gave the child to the Namboothiri of Kalakattu family. But the child did not follow Brahmin tradition. He performed all kinds of non-Brahmanical actions.
One day Sasthappan killed an ox and drank its blood. Kalakattu Namboothiri who came to know about this incident warned him against such actions. Sasthappan thought that it was the wife of Namboothiri who had informed about his actions and threw and stone at her chest.
Kalakattu Namboothiri who saw this hacked Sasthappan to death. But Sasthappan did not die. Kalakattu Namboothiri then invited other Brahmins and created huge yajna. They cut Sasthappan into 390 pieces and put in 21 yajna kundam (sacrificial fire).
But thousands of Sasthappan appeared from the homa kundas and they performed dance on fire. They then annihilated all the Brahmins including Kalakattu Namboothiri. Karinkutti Sasthappan was one among them.
Karinkutti Sasthappan theyyam is worshipped annually to keep him calm and happy so that he does not cause problems to people and other living beings.
He is propitiated for desire fulfillment, to defeat enemies, to find treasure and to take revenge. It is also believed that prayers to him help in retrieving lost items.
The theyyam is performed at Vellur Kozhuthumpadi temple near Payyannur (March 4 and March 5), Kadachira Valiyamuttam temple (January 28 and January 29), Kolachery Viswakarma Oorpazhassi Vettakoru Makan temple (February 20 to February 23), Kunhimangalam Kuthirummal Mattummal Kalari Devasthanam (March 1 to March 4) in Kannur district.