10-year-old ‘kutti puli’ to lead Thrissur’s Ayyanthole Desam in Pulikali

For 10-year-old Aradhya, Pulikali began as something she watched her father do. On Saturday, as the streets of Thrissur come alive with the colours, drums, and dance of Pulikali, the Class 6 student will be in the spotlight, leading the 51-member Ayyanthole Desam team.

Aradhya, a native of Paliyekkara, developed an interest in Pulikali when she was just five, watching her father Ramesh, who has been a Pulikali artist for the past 16 years. "Since she was a toddler, she used to watch me play Pulikali, and she used to dance along. This Onam, we even hosted an event where she played as a 'puli'," Ramesh, who works as a painter, said.

“She has never received any special training. She learned it on her own by watching other performers and me,” he said.

This natural ease with the dance caught the attention of the Ayyanthole Desam team. According to Ayyanthole Desam team secretary Sunil, they look for something different every year to make their Pulikali special. This time, Aradhya gave them that idea. “We were thinking what to do to make it special this year. That is when Ramesh, who has been with us for the past three to four years, said his daughter plays well. When we saw her dance Pulikali, she was very graceful and did better than most adults, so we decided she would head the team,” Sunil said.

Aradhya, meanwhile, said she already sees herself as one of the 'pulis' and is eagerly looking forward to the competition. However, becoming a 'puli' requires an early start. The preparations begin around 3 am. “First, our bodies will be painted white and yellow. Once that dries, we will paint our faces. With all the preparations, we expect to be ready by around 2 pm,” Ramesh said.

The world of 'pulis' and Pulikali has been a part of Ramesh’s life since childhood. “I have been watching 'pulis' and Pulikali since I was a child. I used to spend time at my mother’s house in Chittissery from the age of two or three. My maternal grandfather and my uncles were all pulikali artists. Back then, there were even performers who would dance on top of an olakka (wooden pestle/pounder), which is a rare sight now,” he said.

Aradhya has an elder sister, Amritha, who is studying BSc Nursing in Bangalore, and a three-year-old younger sister, Ardhra, both of whom have embraced her interest. “Watching her sister and me, Ardhra now tells me she also wants to be a pulikali artist,” Ramesh said with a smile. 

This year, nine teams will take part in the Pulikali festivities: Shankaramkulangara, Chakkamukku Desam, Sitaram Mill, Kuttamkulangara Desam, Kanattukara Desam, Yuvajana Sangam Viyyur, Ollarikkara, Ayyanthole Desam and Patturaikkal. Thousands of spectators will gather to watch the annual Pulikali competition, as the 'pulis' take to the streets to the beat of the chenda. Pulikali will be held from 4 pm to 10 pm today at Swaraj Round in Thrissur.