Thrissur: More than 300 ‘tigers’ and ‘tigresses’ along with several percussionists hit Swaraj Round in Thrissur for the annual Pulikkali (tiger show) on Saturday afternoon.
Since 2016, women are also taking part in the mega Onam event here. This year’s Viyyur team had three ‘tigresses’ in its fold. Several spectators including foreign tourists thronged Thrissur to see tigers dance. All the six Pulikkali sangams – Viyyur Desam, Viyyur Centre, Kottappuram Centre, Kottappuram Desam, Thrikkumraku-dam, and Ayyanthole Desam had tableaus along with their tigers for the show.
Each team had 51 tigers dancing to special Pulikkali music. They were painted as stripped tigers and spotted leopards. There were also men in the show as black tigers and some were painted with different florescent colours.
Thrissur Corporation had declared an aid of Rs 1.5 lakh for each team like last year. To prepare a team, the organisers spend Rs 15 to 20 lakh .
Pulikkali sangams said that even though DTPC under tourism department promised aid for this annual mega event in the previous year, the department was yet to pay any money.
Tourism department had announced last year that they had allocated Rs 5 lakh for the event.
