
Festival
Thrissur
Pulikali
Date
Sat, 29 August 2026
Location
Share
Add to Calendar
Pulikali ("Tiger Play") is a vibrant, 200-year-old folk art performed in Thrissur, Kerala, on the fourth day of Onam. Hundreds of performers paint their bodies to resemble tigers and hunters, dancing through the city to the beat of traditional drums. The main spectacle occurs in Swaraj Round.
Performers remove body hair, then spend 5-7 hours having yellow, red, and black paint applied with oils to look like tigers.