Pulikali 2026: Dates and Itinerary Guide
On the fourth day of Onam, Thrissur stops being a city and turns into a parade of tigers. Here is when Pulikali happens in 2026, and what to look out for.
When is Pulikali in 2026?
Pulikali 2026 falls on Saturday, 29 August, the fourth day of Onam (Naalaam Onam). It is held every year at Swaraj Round in the heart of Thrissur, the large circular road that wraps around the Vadakkunnathan temple. This is where troupes from across the district gather, and where the crowd, the drums, and the colour all collect into one roar.
The word itself says it all: puli means tiger, kali means play. Hundreds of performers paint themselves head to toe in bold yellow, red, and black, then dance through the streets to the thunder of the chenda drum. The tradition is more than two hundred years old, and it has always belonged to every community in the city, with dancers, drummers, and painters drawn from all faiths.
The nine teams competing this year
Each desham (a neighbourhood or village quarter) fields its own troupe, and every team brings a minimum of 35 painted members, with the biggest running close to 50. Across all nine, you can expect somewhere between 350 and 400 painted tigers, including men, women, and children. The nine deshams taking part this year are:
- Viyyoor Yuvajana Sangham
- Ayyanthole Desham
- Patturaikkal Desham
- Kuttankulangara Desham
- Sitaram Mill Desham
- Sankaramkulangara Desham
- Chakkamukku Desham
- Kanattukara Pulikali Sangham
- Olarikkara Desham
Breaking the coconut before the Round
Before any troupe can enter Swaraj Round, it has to stop at the Naduvilal Ganapati Kovil and break a coconut at the shrine. This happens roughly between 3:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon, and it is one of the best moments to catch every team in one place, one after another, as they pass through this single point on their way in. It is a small ritual, but it is the doorway to the whole spectacle.
The Pulikali procession
The main procession into Swaraj Round starts somewhere between 4:30 and 5 in the evening, and the celebration carries on late into the night. All nine teams pour in from their junctions with drums, belly-dancing tigers, enacted hunting scenes, and elaborate tableaux (floats). Earlier the troupes used to walk the whole way; now most arrive on decorated trucks. Expect a crowd of well over a lakh, so it pays to find your spot early. Prize distribution usually follows around 8:30 to 9:30 at night.
For photographers and content creators
The procession is the easy part to find. The real magic happens hours earlier, in the paint yards, where the tigers are made. If you want to catch the painting from the start, you need to know exactly which yard to be in, when the foundation goes on, when the fine work begins, which troupe to follow, and what to avoid so rain or crowds do not cost you the shot. That is what our Pulikali itinerary gives you: the locations, the timings, and a clear plan of what to follow and what not to. Get an itinerary from us and shoot it the way it deserves.
More to see across Kerala during Onam
Pulikali is one of the loudest chapters of Onam, but it is far from the only one. From boat races to flower carpets and temple festivities, the whole state comes alive across ten days. See our full guide to what to see in Kerala during Onam to plan the rest of your trip around it.
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