The Swaraj Ground in Keralas Thrissur District played host to the vibrant Pulikali or Tiger Dance festival recently.
By Juhan Samuel
Thrissur, Aug 31 : The Swaraj Ground in Kerala's Thrissur District played host to the vibrant 'Pulikali' or 'Tiger Dance' festival recently.
Hundreds of males with huge bellies and children wearing tiger masks took part in the dance that forms a key element of the popular harvest festival of Onam in Kerala.
Pulikali is also known as Kaduvaakali, in which artists paint themselves with tiger stripes of yellow, red and black, and dance to traditional instruments.
The main theme of the dance is tiger hunting, and its origins are attributed to Muslims soldiers.According to C.D. Wilson, a Christian artist, the festival has now become an all peoples event.
Those who watched the dance, said there has been change in the performances over the years.
In the early days, masks were not used at all and participants would have themselves painted. In modern times, ready made masks, cosmetic teeth, tongues, beards, and mustachies are par for the course.
Organisers of the dance said they were thrilled by the response of sponsors and youths.
"This year, more youths came forward to participate in the festival. Even the response of the sponsors and the government was good," said John Daniel, an event manager.
A sriking feature of this folk art is the colorful appearance of the performers.
First of all, the dancers have to remove the hair from the body, and then, the base coat of paints is applied on them.
It takes two to three hours for the coating to dry. After that, the second coat of paint is applied with enhanced design. This entire procedure takes at least five to seven hours.
A particular combination of Tempra Powder and varnish is used to make the paint.
The origin of Pulikali dates back to over 200 years, when the King Ramavarma is said to have introduced the folk art during Muharram. Mohemeddan soldiers of the British army stationed in Thrissur also participated in the event.
ANI