Kerala: Big cats have roaring time at swaraj round
THRISSUR: The bellies were flopping and the ‘aramanis’ were ringing as cavorting ‘big cats’ descended on the cultural capital in numbers for ‘pulikkali’ on Friday. Thousands gathered at Swaraj Round and Thekkinkadu Maidan to witness the annual performance, which traditionally marks the end of Onam celebrations.
Resplendent in yellow, white, black, and sometimes red, body paint, artists pranced around to the beat of traditional drums, holding spectators in their thrall. Performed on the fourth day of Onam, pulikkali is believed to have been introduced during the reign of Sakthan Thampuran -- the Kochi king who is considered the architect of Thrissur -- as a recreational folk art form.
Processions from various localities in the city congregated at Swaraj Round, where the performance reached a crescendo. According to the Pulikkali Sangham, “It is not just a two- or three-day affair. Work on the masks and body paint begins much earlier. The artists prepare for at least 15 days. The pulikkali rhythm is unlike the sinkari melam or the panchari. Its unique beat helps elevate the spirit of the performance.” On Friday, the ‘pulimada’, or grooming room, came alive. Unlike the stripes or spots that take up other parts of the body, the face of animals adorns bellies in a potpourri of colours.
“All the groups have their own assortment of black panthers, yellow and red tigers and leopards. It takes at least three hours to paint the body of each artist. We begin the grooming process early in the morning. Larger bellies take more time and effort,” said Prasad of the Sitaram Mill Desam Pulikkali Sangham.
Unlike in previous years, only five groups -- Ayyanthole Desam, Kanattukara, Viyyur Desam, Sakthan, and Sitaram Mill Desam -- registered for the performance this year. Organisers cited financial crunch for the drop in numbers. Each group had 51 artists. Sitaram Mill had two woman performers -- Nimisha Bijo and Thara. Nimisha is a professional model from Chalakudy, while Thara hails from Thalikkulam in Thrissur. Sakthan featured child performers who burst with energy throughout the four-hour-long performance. Ayyanthole Desam Pulikkali team bagged the first prize comprising a cash award of Rs 62,500 and a trophy. Kanattukara and Sitaram Mill were adjudged the first and second runners-up, respectively.