People painted as tigersSourced
Kerala’s tiger dance puts the stripes on human performers
Pulikali, meaning tiger dance, is a folk performance from Kerala, India. During Onam and other celebrations, performers paint their bodies like tigers or leopards and dance to percussion. The animals in the performance are people in painted patterns.
The dancer’s body becomes part of the animal costume.
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Pulikali · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-10