[Samurai]

Pili Yesa (Tulu) or Huli vesha (Kannada) is a Tulunadu folk dance. It is performed mainly during Krishna Janmashtami. Today we had a troupe visit my apartment building and I had a great photo opportunity. The event almost got cancelled due to unseasonal rains. Fortunately, it was only delayed by 30 minutes.



How's that for a starter? As you can guess by now, Pili or Huli means tiger. This is the Tiger Dance. Here is the wiki on this topic.

Keep in mind these are not professionals. They are regular people, with regular jobs. They put on the paint only during the festivals and let it rip.

There is nothing to explain any further. There is no story or ritual. They visit different homes and shops and dance for them. They get generous payment by most people for the performance.

Edit: Got some extra details from my mother. She said these dancers keep the paint on for 2-3 days of the festivals. Because the paint closes the pores on the skin, it does get very hot and uncomfortable for them. Earlier days, the dancers used to sleep on plantain leaves to keep themselves cool. Not sure what they do now. Many take this up as part of a parake (Tulu), harake (Kannada) or Mannat (Hindi). So there is religious angle to it.

The gun toting dancer is supposedly the hunter. Traditionally, he is supposed to be carrying a bow & arrow or a hunter's musket, my mother was amused he was carrying a pistol.

https://youtu.be/_NS-X8i4KIo

[Samurai]

[Samurai]

These videos will demonstrate the mood of the whole event.

https://youtu.be/NKve-1tLTsE

https://youtu.be/tliLnneWviA

https://youtu.be/ez0vwFzzcMk

https://youtu.be/cnjSHqlvsjk

https://youtu.be/KBeUqLYjNlo

https://youtu.be/_QYNmXMuu9k

[Samurai]

[Samurai]

[Samurai]

As the 30 minute dance winded down, the team leader collects the donations and their truck is called up for transportation.







The above poster says Ista Mahalingeshwara Tiger Dance Troupe, Padu Bailoor, Udupi.

Thus ends one of the most colorful rituals of Janmashtami. They will don the colors again during Navratri. Until then, Namaskara!

[vinair]

Crisp and colourful pics!! Thanks for sharing!
Couldn’t resist this video from one of my favourite movies, Ulidhavaru Kandanthe (translates to As seen by others), the music the visuals is just brilliant! I started humming this music the minute I saw your pictures!!

https://youtu.be/BlsoDDpj0gg

[NPV]

Colourful and vivid pictures, thanks for sharing, Samurai
What gear did you use to shoot the pictures and video ?

Costumes and make up donned by these artistes is just too good and amazing performers too

I was left wondering if this was in Bangalore or Udupi ?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by vinair

I started humming this music the minute I saw your pictures!!

Quite different than the tiger dance music I am used to.

The most popular tiger dance song is from the movie Ranadheera. Even that music is featured in movie you referred to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQRuM4poEQs

Originally Posted by NPV

What gear did you use to shoot the pictures and video ?

Not Canon, not Nikon, not even Sony. Just an humble Olympus OMD E-M5mkII with 12-40mm F/2.8 for wider shots, and 75mm F/1.8 for the close-ups.

Originally Posted by vinair

I was left wondering if this was in Bangalore or Udupi ?

Obviously in Udupi. You can see the name of the team on the poster in the very last pic.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Not Canon, not Nikon, not even Sony. Just an humble Olympus OMD E-M5mkII with 12-40mm F/2.8 for wider shots, and 75mm F/1.8 for the close-ups.

Obviously in Udupi. You can see the name of the team on the poster in the very last pic.

I was quite sure it was an Olympus OMD, just didn't know which one

Missed noticing that banner on the truck, hence the question! I have seen similar troupes in the older 'pete' areas in Bangalore years ago during temple processions/'jathre', not sure though if they still perform during the festivals.

[Samurai]

Added some details and an extra video to the first post.

[SS-Traveller]

Thank you, Samurai. One learns something new every day, and your thread taught me something I was not aware of at all earlier.

[Thilak29]

Nice Post Samurai. I am glad that you let pictures speak for themselves. The onset of rain in coastal region changes the dynamics all together, festivals begin and life here begins to unravel with unique culinary dishes for the season, visits from Aati Kalanja (another traditional form of art where a performance artist visits houses with a team of percussionist).

Season of pilivesha ends by Dasara and it would be a wonderful sight at temples where multiple troupes roar with competing performances.

BTW I recall seeing Pistol or Single Barrel gun like thing in the hands of hunter almost three decades ago.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Samurai

The gun toting dancer is supposedly the hunter. Traditionally, he is supposed to be carrying a bow & arrow or a hunter's musket, my mother was amused he was carrying a pistol.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

BTW I recall seeing Pistol or Single Barrel gun like thing in the hands of hunter almost three decades ago.

Much smaller troupes visit individual houses during this time. But these guys had a single barrel gun (air gun probably) with them.

My then 2 year old son bravely taking on an adult tiger (lion?):



But when the tiger roared, he decided to fight another day and took to his heels.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

Nice Post Samurai. I am glad that you let pictures speak for themselves. The onset of rain in coastal region changes the dynamics all together, festivals begin and life here begins to unravel with unique culinary dishes for the season, visits from Aati Kalanja (another traditional form of art where a performance artist visits houses with a team of percussionist).

I have seen a variation where Yakshagana artists visit home during the onset of rains.

Had covered it an earlier thread.