The vibrant festival of Pulikali, also known as the ‘tiger dance’, takes centre stage today in Thrissur, Kerala. With around 400 participants dressed as tigers from seven different groups, known as desams, the performers are all set to entertain crowds with their rhythmic dance from 4 PM onwards. The desams aka groups are Seetharammill Desam, Chakkamukk, Viyyur Desam, Viyyur Yuvajana Sangham, Shankaramkulangara, Kanattukara, and Patturakkal.
One of the festival's main attractions is the intricate tiger face art painted on the performers' bodies. Applying the paint or meyyezhuthu begins early morning on the pulikali day, with the desam members helping the participants turn into ferocious pulis. Regardless, how do these ensure the paints are irritation-free and gentle on the skin? Know more: How the pulikali paint is made In the earlier times, natural colours like charcoal and indigo were apparently used to decorate the performers.
However, today, enamel paint has taken over as the primary choice. Nikhil, an artist from Viyyur desam, explains, “Combining enamel paint with gorilla powder and varnish gives us the mix with the right texture and sheen. The process requires rapt attention, as improper mixing can make the paint unusable.
” A few of the performers also apply coconut oil to their bodies before the paint is applied for skin protection. “However, this can delay the drying process,” notes Senthil, a pulikali artist. Removal of the paint and further skincare Onc.