Description

Pulikkali, a folk art form of Kerala, India, is celebrated on the fourth day of "Onam", a harvest festival of Kerala, mainly to entertain the public. Groups of potbellied men with body paint of tiger strips in yellow, white, sometimes black and red, dance to the rhythm of traditional percussion instruments such as "udukku" and "chenda." "Pulilkali" is an example of the coming togetherness of various arts, like painting, performance, music. People are cheered by the energy of the performing crowd. The performers paint their body with big, vibrant portrait of tiger and leopard, which needs strenuous hours of work. The expressions of fierce animals could be correlated to the fierce nature of humans, unwilling to bending to the shackles of life. While watching "Pulikkali" we can see that there is a sense of unity, a quirky quest for entertainment. When people come together, there is a celebration.