Festival Arts
Onam tiger dance of Thrissur — performers painted as tigers and leopards parade to chenda and chengila beats.
About
Pulikali (Malayalam: പുലിക്കളി, lit. “dance of the tiger”) is a recreational folk art from Kerala performed during Onam, the annual harvest festival. The performance revolves around the theme of tiger hunting. On the fourth day of Onam (Naalaam Onam), performers painted like tigers and leopards in bright yellow, red, and black shake their bellies and dance to the beats of chenda and chengila. In Thrissur, Pulikali troupes from across the district assemble to display their skills, drawing thousands of spectators to Swaraj Round.
The origin of Pulikali dates back over 200 years, when Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran of Cochin is said to have introduced the folk art. Performers decked themselves as tigers with peculiar steps resembling the tiger in a form then known as Pulikkettikali, which was immensely enjoyed by locals. Pulikali in Thrissur is held in memory of this event.
Thrissur district — the art’s best-known public gathering is at Swaraj Round in the heart of Thrissur city.
Neighbourhood sangams (troupes) from all four corners of Thrissur train and paint performers for Onam. The Pulikali Coordination Committee, a unified council of Pulikali groups formed in 2004, organises the event to preserve and propagate the art. The Thrissur Municipal Corporation grants Rs 30,000 per troupe.
Bare torso with painted tiger or leopard body, a broad belt with jingles around the waist, and simple lower cloth. Modern troupes often add ready-made masks, cosmetic teeth, tongues, beards, and moustaches alongside body paint.
A particular combination of tempera powder and varnish or enamel is used. Dancers remove body hair, then receive a base coat that takes two to three hours to dry, followed by a second coat with enhanced stripe design — a five-to-seven-hour process often starting in the wee hours of the morning.
Chenda and chengila lead the street procession; folk drums and percussion set the rhythm as troupes dance, bounce, and shake their bellies through Thrissur’s streets.
Onam, especially Naalaam Onam (the fourth day), when sangams process through Palace Road, Karunakaran Nambiar Road, Shornur Road, A R Menon Road, and MG Road to Swaraj Round. Scenes of a tiger preying on an animal or being hunted by a game-hunter are enacted along the route. Groups assemble at Naduvilal before Vadakkunnathan Temple, offer coconuts at Naduvilal Ganapati Kovil, and parade with village floats.
Usually performed by men and children; in 2016 three women among a 51-member team participated in Thrissur Pulikali for the first time. During COVID-19 lockdowns, Ayyanthole Desham Pulikali Samithy live-streamed a virtual performance with about 17 dancers.
Early Pulikali used no masks — participants were painted all over, including the face. Today ready-made masks and cosmetic accessories supplement full-body paint, and troupes compete to field the best floats and best-dressed tigers.
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Costume, mask, and performance detail — open any image for a larger view.
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