It is dedicated to Lord VishnuвЂ™s Vamana avatar and is one of the most important Vishnu temples in Southern India. Nowhere is the celebration grander than at the Thrikkakara Vamanamoorthy Temple near Kochi. It is the stateвЂ™s national festival and is celebrated with great enthusiasm in entire Kerala. In 2019, Onam Fetival began on 1st September and ends on 13th September.In 2020, Onam Festival began on 22nd August and ends on 2nd September.In 2021, Onam Festival will begin on 21st August and ends on 1st September.The 10-day celebration grips everyone with the festive vibe and engraves a happy frame in the mind. This year it is on 21st August - 1st September 2021. And according to the Malayalam calendar, it falls in the month of Chingam. By afternoon the Pulikkali groups or 'sangams' as they are called, from all four corners of Thrissur move in a procession, dancing, bouncing and shaking their bellies to the beat of the drums through the streets to the Swaraj Round, Thrissur situated in the heart of the city through Palace Road, Karunakaran Nambiar Road, Shornur Road, A R Menon Road, and MG Road.The much-awaited Onam festival is held every year in August or September. It is a meticulous process and often starts in the wee hours of the morning. A large number of artists gather to apply paint on the tigers. This entire procedure takes at least five to seven hours. After that, the second coat of paint is applied with an enhanced design.

It takes two to three hours for the coating to dry. First of all, the dancers remove the hair from the body, and then, the base coat of paint is applied to them. A particular combination of tempera powder and varnish or enamel is used to make the paint.

Preparations ДЄ striking feature of this folk art is the colorful appearance of the performers. About 17 people took part in the dance virtually from various locations.

Under the initiative of Ayyanthole Desham Pulikkali Samithy, Pulikali was live-streamed on their Facebook page. Дue to COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions, many Onam celebrations were put off. For the first time, 3 women among a 51 member team participated in the Pulikali at Thrissur in 2016. Usually, men and children perform this art form. The Thrissur Municipal Corporation gives a grant of Rs 30,000 for each Pulikkali troupe. The event is organized by the Pulikkali Co-ordination Committee, a unified council of Pulikkali groups formed in 2004 in Thrissur to preserve and propagate the art in all its true hues and tones. The festival in Thrissur has now become an all peoples event with a huge response from people, especially youths who come forward to participate in the festival, and also from sponsors. The tigers also wear a broad belt with jingles around their waist. But now, ready-made masks, cosmetic teeth, tongues, beards, and mustaches are used by the participants along with the paint on their bodies. In the early days, masks were not used and participants would have themselves painted all over, on their faces as well. Over the years, there have been changes in the adornment of Pulikali dancers. Pulikkali is also performed during various other festive seasons. The festival attracts thousands of people to the Thrissur city. 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. Folk art is mainly practiced in Thrissur district of Kerala. Literal meaning of Pulikkali is 'The tiger dance' hence the performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam or Vishakam), performers painted like tigers and leopards in bright yellow, red, and black shake their bellies and dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku and Thakil. 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. Pulikkali (Meaning: Leopard game) is a recreational folk art from the state of Kerala, India.

JSTOR ( August 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Д¤th Onam day ( Chathayam) in the month of Chingam.

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.

Onam wikipedia