THRISSUR: The rain beating down on Thrissur failed to deter people from gathering in huge numbers to witness the ‘Pulikali’ performers walking down the street at Swaraj round with tigers, leopards and panthers painted on their trunks on Thursday.It began drizzling in the afternoon and continued raining well into the night, delaying the performance by several hours.
People, though drenched, waited patiently to see over 200 artists who were all set to walk the streets with make-up on their bodies, lifelike faces of tigers, panthers and leopards painted on their chests and plump bellies and tiger stripes on their arms and legs. When they did, the sight enthralled everyone gathered there.
People jumped in joy with the tigers, tigresses and leopards who roared the tunes of the percussionists.
On their part, the artists feared the downpour will spoil the paintings on their bodies. Understandably so, as the work took a patient sitting of around seven hours. But they did not disappoint fans.
Though the event was organised after spending more than `12 lakh, the coveted prize for winners was not what the artists craved as they regaled the crowd. Instead, they seemed to be content with winning their hearts.Synonymous with Onam festival now, ‘Pulikali’ has garnered popularity in Thrissur and is slowly gaining acceptance in other parts of the state.
Women’s team grabs people’s attention
A team of 12 women, the tigresses, were all the rage in this year’s ‘Pulikali’. Their number grew from a paltry four from last year, their first appearance in the event. The increased participation of women performers – who were dressed as tigresses and leopards and jumped to the tune of the percussion instruments - was well-received by all. The women stood neck-and-neck with men and did not disappoint the crowd.