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Pulikali- A Tiger Dance of Kerela

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    History & Culture
  • Published
    18th Dec, 2020

Pulikali is one of the folk dances performed on the 4th day of ONAM.

What is Pulikali?

  • Pulikali is one of the folk dances performed on the 4th day of ONAM.
  • Puli Kali is also known as Kaduvaakali.
  • It is an Art form of Thrissur district of Kerala, India.
  • The name Puli Kali literally means TIGER PLAY. In Malayalam language (mother tongue of Kerala) ‘Puli’ means Tiger and ‘Kali’ means Play.
  • It could be to symbolize the mighty kingMahabali in the form of mighty animal – Tiger in the PuliKali dance form.

Onam

  • Onam is one such important harvest festival which celebrates the beginning of first day of Malayalam calendar (Kollavarsham).
  • Onam is a carnival of folk dances, feasts, games for four to ten days.
  • Onam is celebrated to welcome the spirit of King Mahabali who was a demon(asura) but during his reign it is said that Kerala was a prosperous and happy state.

How it is celebrated?

  • The artists enact themselves as tigers and leopards by painting their whole body with red, black and yellow colors and wear tiger masks.
  • This folk art’s main attraction is the fat bellied men dancing on a particular rhythm or tune.
  • This dance was originated 200 years ago under the rule of King Ramavarma.
  • They all assemble at Naduvilal in the Swaraj round of Thrissur which is the center of the city and offer a coconut to Lord Ganesha of the Vadakkunathan temple.
  • Then they carry out processions on the streets and dance all day on the beats of instruments like ‘ thakil’, ‘udukku’ , ‘ chhenda’ and many more.

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