Pulikali (tiger dance) is a folk art form of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam, dancers paint their bodies with yellow, red and black stripes like tigers and dance to the tunes of takir, uduku and chenda. A carnival is held in the Swaraj land in Thrissur district where people come in various colours and masks, with locals and tourists joining in the fun. The theme of this folk art is hunting, where participants take on the role of tigers and hunters. The make-up is done with oil paint and is said to be difficult to remove. That is why every year during the Onam festival, the streets of Thrissur attract people from all over the state and the worlt is also called ‘Kaduvakali’, the folk art form of Kerala which is performed by a trained artist. The origin of pulikali dates back to over 200 years, The Maharaja of Kochi Rama Varma ‘Sakthan thampuran’ introduced this folk dance to celebrate Onam with a dance that reflects wild. Early morning the body of the performers is being waxed to put the paints and they start painting the tiger face on their body. The entire procedure takes at least six to seven hours. They paint with a particular combination of tempera powder and varnish which would require kerosene to remove after the procession.d to witness this special event.
Literally, Puli Kali means tiger’s dance. Puli Kali is a unique recreational folk art form where artists paint themselves as tigers or leopards and dance across the streets. Puli Kali is celebrated with great gusto particularly in Thrissur district in the state of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam.
Origin
It is performed around Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala. The harvest season in Kerala lasts between late August to early September. It is said that Vaman, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu descended on Earth to destroy an evil King(asura) named King Mahabali.
Mahabali was very powerful and his kingdom encompassed the three worlds as described in Hindu mythology. Vaman, who was a Brahmin kid, appeared to King Mahabali and asked for as much land as extended over his three steps.
The kid started growing bigger and bigger. In his first step, he covered the sky and the earth in his second step. Mahabali had realised that he is Lord Vishnu. When the kid asked the king where he should put his third step, the king, not wanting to insult the lord, answered that he can step on his head.
Impressed by his politeness and reverence, Vaman gifted him with a boon that the king will get to see his subjects once in a year. As soon as Vaman stepped onto his head, Mahabali happened to attain salvation and enjoyed his boon to see his subjects annually during the harvest festival of Onam.
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