Hundreds of dancers, painted like tigers, took over the main thoroughfares of Thrissur on Saturday for the traditional Pulikkali, bringing the curtain down on Onam celebrations in the cultural capital.
The street pageant, based on the theme of tiger hunt, has a history of over 200 years, when the erstwhile king Rama Varma Shakthan Thampuran introduced it to mark the culmination of Onam celebrations.
The Swaraj Round witnessed unprecedented crowd as tigers roared and growled while prancing about the city’s main thoroughfare. The participation of women in the tiger dance, for the first time in the history of the pageant, added colour to the show. Many teams presented ‘tiger cubs’ too.
Men with huge tummy are in great demand during Pulikkali as they alone can present crude belly dance with tiger faces painted on their tummies.
Pulikkali fans lined up the streets hours before the pageant to see their favourite teams perform. The spirit of the carnival reached crescendo as various teams entered Swaraj Round around 4 p.m.
Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar and Tourism Minister A.C. Moideen flagged off the Pulikkali performance at 4 p.m. in front of the Paramekkavu temple. A Pulikkali supplement published by the Thrissur Corporation was also released on the occasion.
Contingents from Mailippadam, Viyyur, Kuttankulangara, Naikanal, Vadakke Angadi, Ayyanthole, Punkunnam Vivekananda Seva Samithy, Kokkale Santhoz, Thrikkumarakudam and Patturaikal participated, displaying the intricate tiger body art.
Each team had 35 to 51 members. Tableaux, one of the main attractions of Pulikkali, depicted current issues as well as mythological concepts.
The performances were judged at three points on Swaraj Round – Paramekkavu Junction, MO Road and Naduvilal Junction. Winners will be presented the Mayors Trophy.
More than 500 artistes representing 10 teams participate in the traditional Pulikkali
