Puli Kali

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Pulikkali പുലിക്കളി
Genre	Pulikkali (Tiger Dance)
Dates	4th Onam day (Vishakham) in the month of Chingam
Frequency	Annually
Venue	Swaraj Round, Thrissur
Country	India
Founded	1886; 138 years ago (1886)
Founder	Sakthan Thampuran

Puli kali (Meaning: Tiger Dance) is a recreational folk art from the state of Kerala, India.^[1] It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala.^[2] On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Naalaam Onam or chathayam), performers painted like tigers and leopards in bright yellow, red, and black shake their bellies and dance to the beats of instruments like Chenda and Chengila.^[3] The literal meaning of Pulikkali is 'The tiger dance' hence the performance revolves around the theme of tiger hunting. Folk art is mainly practiced in the Thrissur district of Kerala. The best place to watch the show is at Thrissur on the fourth day of Onam, where Pulikkali troupes from all over the district assemble to display their skills. The festival attracts thousands of people to the Thrissur city. Pulikkali is also performed during various other festive seasons.