Pulikkali

During festive season, Pulikali is a common sight in Kerala. Performers get painted like tigers in various colours and adorn tiger-head like masks and dance to the beats of percussion instruments like udukku and thakil. Thrissur is most famous for this art performance, especially during Onam.

Pulikali is a popular folk art performed during the Onam season. In Pulikali a group of performers paint their whole body in the likeness of tigers and wear tiger mask. They prance about, dance and move like tigers. A hunter and a drummer accompany the tigers. The theme of the play is tiger hunting.

The Swaraj Round in Thrissur district is the venue of a grand Pulikali on the fourth Onam day. On this day Pulikali troops from different parts of the district come here to perform.