Pulikkali: Tiger-Play
Once a year in September, the small town of Thrissur in Kerala (a state just west of Tamil Nadu) comes alive with swarms of "tigers." The display, called Pulikkali, meaning tiger play or tiger dance, has been taking place annually for over a century. It is part of the larger festival of Onam, which is especially popular in Kerala.
Hundreds of men, and a few young boys, spend hours getting their body painted from head to toe to resemble a tiger. Some don tiger face masks or attach tiger masks to their bellies. They then prance through the town in a choreographed, exuberant display, sometimes mimicking a tiger moving on its hind legs, at other times doing a frenzied dance to the beat of indigenous drummers. This spectacular display is crowded and rowdy (more on that later!), but great fun. Below, a selection of scenes from tiger-play.
Another winning photo for the BBC?? I've been thinking for awhile now that
you were meant to be a foreign correspondent/news photographer.
Great pictures, you captured the essence of the celebration. And thanks for
introducing something new, at least to me.
The time that some of these folks put into painting objects and themselves
just floors me!
I second Dale B's comment. Absolutely! Absolutely!
And how many hours do Americans spend in front of the tube? Or on our
precious computers? This seems to me a much more creative use of time.
The tiger is Durga's vehicle is the festival tied into the Durga pujas?
Dale & Donna: Yeah, I've been thinking that too. Now, how to make it
happen? ;o)
"Dale & Donna: Yeah, I've been thinking that too. Now, how to make it
happen? ;o)"
Hi Basia, I am from Thrissur and stumbled upon your blog while searching
for Pulikkali. Great pics you have here!