Hulivesha

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A group of boys painted and in tiger costumers on the way to a Dusseraprocession in Mangalore

Hulivesha "Tiger Masque" (Kannada: Huliva, Tulu Piliva) is a folk dance unique to
the Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka.[1] Huliva is performed duringNavratri to honour the goddess
Sharada - an aspect of Saraswati whose favoured animal is the tiger. It is also performed during
the Krishna Janmashtami at Udupi and during Ganesha Chaturthi in Moodabidri in Tulu Nadu.[2]
Typically, young males form troops of five to ten members or more, which will have three to five
males painted and costumed to look like tigers, and a band with two or three drummers. This troop is
accompanied by the manager of the group. During Navratri, these troops will be roaming the streets
of their towns, with the accompanying drum beats of their bands. They stop at homes and
businesses or on the road sides to perform for about ten minutes after which they collect some
money from the people who have observed their performance. [3]
The troops perform until the last day of Navratri, and almost all of them form part of the Sharada
procession. After the procession is over, performances are stopped and the paint is removed.
While huli means "tiger", dancers also painted themselves with leopard or cheetah motifs. Each
person will be wearing just a knicker, which usually has a tiger-skin motif. The rest of his bare body
and face is painted with various designs that denote tigers, cheetahs and leopards. A mask made of
fake fur and sometimes a tail is worn to complete the ensemble.
The paint causes a burning sensation on the skin. But this is endured by the persons to be part of
the celebrations and also to earn some extra money in the holiday season. Originally people used to
do this as a part of a religious vow. The paint is kept on the body for a couple of days and repainted
or retouched as desired.

See also[edit]

Puli Kali, a similar dance form in neighbouring Kerala

Aati kalenja
Bhuta Kola

References[edit]
1.

2.
3.

Jump up^ Pinto, Stanley G (2001-10-26). "Human 'tigers' face threat to health". Times of
India. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
Jump up^ "Hulivesha". Mangalore.com. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
Jump up^ "A folk art and a religious vow". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 2005-08-28.
Retrieved 2007-01-04.