Women tigers get set for pulikali' fest

THRISSUR: For the first time in the 200-year history of  ‘Pulikali’ fest here, ‘women tigers’ will perform  in the annual Onam event on Saturday afternoon. Those who are destined to create history are N.A. Vinaya,  ASI at Kerala Police Academy, Ramavarmapuram,    Divya Divakaran,  higher secondary school teacher from Nilambur,  and E. Sakeena,  fashion designer  from Kozhikode. They will  don  Pulikali attire for Viyyur Desam.

Anil Chullikkatil, one of the organisers of Viyyur,  told DC that it was  Vinaya who had approached the organisers with such a  suggestion and the Pulikali committee gave the nod for women to take part in the event. Their  costume is kept  a secret and the organisers said that it would be similar to that of  others taking part in the event. Meanwhile, all arrangements have been put in place for the  Pulikali, which got a new lease of life with several private parties, Thrissur Corporation  and District Tourism Promotion Council  giving financial assistance to the teams.

Compared to the six teams that took part in the show last year,  this time there will be ten teams  with 30 to 50 tigers in each team. For women, the corporation has set up a  pavilion on Thekkinkkad Maidan near CMS School. For specially-abled persons, a stage has been erected in front of Banerjee Club at  Swaraj Round. The show will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday with Mailippadam Desam entering Swaraj Round, the venue of the event, from near Paramekkavu temple. Thereafter,  different teams will enter the round from MO Road, Naduvilal and Naikkanal, said general convener Anup Davis Cada.