Puli kali (Meaning: Tiger Dance) is a recreational folk art from the state of Kerala, India.

[1] 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.

[2] On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Naalaam Onam or chathayam), performers painted like tigers and leopards in bright yellow, red, and black shake their bellies and dance to the beats of instruments like Chenda and Chengila.

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.

But now, ready-made masks, cosmetic teeth, tongues, beards, and mustaches are used by the participants along with the paint on their bodies.

Under the initiative of Ayyanthole Desham Pulikkali Samithy, Pulikali was live-streamed on their Facebook page.

Thousands of spectators line the streets enjoying the dance, cheering the dancers some of them even trying to join in.