Thrissur (Kerala): Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions in place, Kerala is celebrating a very low key Onam this year.
Puli kali (Tiger dance) is a street dance form performed mostly by men, by painting their bodies - especially the potbellies - as 'tigers' (puli in Malayalam) and wearing tiger masks on the 4th Onam, (Chathayam day ) every year, at the Swaraj Round in Thrissur District of Kerala. Pulikali is one of the major misses this Onam due to COVID 19 pandemic.
The Pulikoottam (Tiger dance performers’ group) could not get out of their houses to perform on the streets roaring and fascinating the young and the old alike due to COVID-19 restriction, However, they were not ready to simply sit idle during the time.
The Pulikali Sangham of Ayyanthole Desam in Thrissur District is busy making boats to help rescue people in a flood situation.
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During the past three years, Onam came along with floods and inundation hitting many parts of Kerala. The boats that the ‘tigers’ make would help in the rescue operations, they say.
This time, the group started work on making the boat right from the time the monsoon began in Kerala. Though the rains did not badly affect Thrissur district this time, the ‘tigers’ carried on with their work as it may be helpful at some point.
The rescue boats are being made of drums. Twenty drums have been bought for the purpose. The making of one boat requires two drums cut into halves and another half of one more drum.
The frame for the boat is being prepared by the welders in the Pulikkoottam.
Four persons can sit on one boat. The boats were made by checking Youtube videos and also by seeking experts’ advise. These ‘tigers’ from Ayyanthole who dance and entertain people with the Pulikali every year during Onam, proved that they can also don the roles of rescuers in the time of an emergency.
