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Pilivēṣa in "TigerMasque" is afolk dance unique in coastalKarnataka, India.[1] Pilivēṣa is performed duringNavratri to honour the GoddessDurga, whose favoured animal is thetiger (mārnemi).Mangalore Dasara is one of the festivals during which a large number of enthusiasts participate. It originated inUdupi District of Karnataka and was initially performed during theKrishna Janmashtami/Mosarukudike andGaneshaChaturthi atMangalore,Udupi,Moodabidri,Kundapur and many other places inTulu Nadu.[2]
Typically, young males form troupes of five to ten members or more. Three to five males are painted and costumed to look like tigers, and accompanied by a band calledthaase inTulu with two or threedrummers. This troupe is accompanied by the manager of the group. During Navratri, these troupes roam the streets, with accompanying drum beats of their bands. They stop at homes and businesses or on the roadsides to perform for about ten minutes after which they collect money from the people who have observed their performance.[3]
The troupes perform until the last day of Navratri, and almost all of them form part of the Sharada processions organized by temples such asMangaladevi,Gokarnanatheshwara and Venkatramana temple. After the procession is over, performances are stopped and the paint is removed.
WhilePili means "tiger" inTulu, dancers also painted themselves withleopard orcheetah motifs. The costumes vary depending on the place. Costumes inMangalore differ from those inUdupi district. Each person wears just a knicker/shorts, which usually has a tiger-skin motif. The rest of his bare body and face is painted with designs that denote tigers, cheetahs, and leopards. A headgear or 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 as part of the celebrations and also to earn extra money in the holiday season. Originally performers did this as a part of a religious vow. The paint was kept on the body for a couple of days and repainted or retouched as needed.
Skill levels vary from person to person. The basic requirement is to know the tiger dance steps and to have enoughstamina. Typical skills areFire breathing,Hand walking,Handstands,gymnastic moves, picking money from mouth by bending backwards and lifting akkimudi (rice tied in straw, weighing 42 kg!) in their teeth and throwing it backwards etc.
The 2014Kannada movieUlidavaru Kandanthe featured a tiger dance where one of the character (actorAchyuth Kumar) belonged to the Pilivesha troupe. A song titled "Pilivesha Beats" was dedicated to tiger dance.
The 2021 movieGaruda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana also had a brief history and featured Pili Vesha where the character of Shiva (actorRaj B. Shetty) performed the tiger dance, with the song "Sojugada sooju mallige".
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