Visits since 1 Apr 2024
6,205,297
Visits since 1 Jan 2007 48,066,886
Event date: 08-09-2025
Venue: Swaraj Round, Thrissur
District: Thrissur
Pulikali (Tiger Dance) is one among the folk art forms of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam festival, artists paint their bodies like tigers with stripes of yellow, red and black and dance to the rhythm of traditional percussion instruments such as thakil, udukku and chenda. The Swaraj Ground in Thrissur district plays host to this carnival that has people appearing in various unique hues and masks, with the locals and visitors alike joining in on the revelry.
The main theme of this folk art is tiger hunting with participants playing the role of tiger and hunter. The make-up for the same is applied using oil paints and is said to be extremely hard to remove. Regardless, every year during Onam, the streets of Thrissur attract people from across the State and the world to view this special event.
Disclaimer
In Kerala, festival dates are decided in accordance with the Malayalam calendar and the local traditions and customs. We have calculated the festival dates based on these. But there can be changes in the dates according the customs and rituals associated with each place of worship. As such, these should be considered only as approximate dates and have to be confirmed with the local authorities.
