Every Onam, guys endowed with a big belly are in demand to dress up as Mahabali. Malayalis have a stock image of their mythical king in their heads. A giant of a man, with a cheerfully big belly, a happy face and a big moustache, dressed in a king’s attire. He is somewhat like the Malayali version of Santa Claus, who comes to visit every year bearing wishes of prosperity.
Over the years, it has been a practice and while it helps revive the story of Onam, it also helps these people earn a few bucks.
Srinivasan, for instance, has been making his pocket money every Onam season being Mahabali. For the past ten years, he has been busy every Onam, as bookings start much ahead of the festival. An auto driver from Thuravoor, Cherthala, Srinivasan enjoys his part-time vocation. Dressed in glittery faux silk, costume jewellery, an elaborate crown and a naturally big moustache, he ensures that he looks the part. “I do a good job of it. I am known as Mahabali in my village,” he says. He does the makeup himself—powdered face and painted lips. As most of the bookings are from Kochi, he drives to the city in his own auto. He says the costume is his own and it makes sense owning a pair, as he would need it every year.
PulikkaliTiger, tiger burning bright...one can’t help thinking when a pulikkali troupe (also known as kaduva kkali in certain parts of the State) starts its business. Men in tiger masks with tigers painted on huge bellies, their limbs with ‘tiger markings’ dancing is one of the enduring images of Onam celebrations.
The 10 days of Onam keep the ‘pulis’ (leopard) busy. A huge pot belly, “the ‘huger’ the better” is the sign of a good puli, says Baby P. Antony, president of the Thrissur-based Pulikkali Co-ordination Committee. Athachamayam, tableaus, club programmes, programmes by the District Tourism Promotion Council are some of the activities that keep the pulikkali troupes busy, usually during Onam.
The health conscious among the ‘pulis’ quit exercising and do their best to develop a sizeable potbelly. The bigger the belly more work. A day’s work can earn Rs. 5,000, food and kerosene to remove the paint. “It is tough work. After a day’s work which will be a few hours dancing, one needs a day to recuperate.”
The painting is by artists or students of art who appreciate the challenge of painting on a live canvas. Ground tempera powder and varnish are used to bring out the tiger. The painting takes more a couple of hours, “almost half a day. Even eating becomes difficult. Then there is laborious process of removing the paint,” clearly it is more than just a job for these men. And for some livelihood by putting up a show in malls and shops.
The masks come from Tamil Nadu which are either made of plastic or fibre. These are ‘modified’ to make a new face or a different expression in order to make it ‘match’ the rest of the puli. The colours of a puli have evolved over the years, there are blue pulis and other pulis adorn themselves with LED lights too.
“It is a very democratic art form…men from all strata of society come together during this season. It all boils down to it being a passion,” says Baby, a lawyer.
OnathappanV.K. Jayan, who runs the terracotta production unit Terracrafts, recalls the days from his childhood when he used to help his mother Kutty Amma make the traditional onathappan for the festival. The conical structure is a mainstay of many Onam rituals, meant to represent Lord Vamana, the avatar of Lord Vishnu who sent king Mahabali to the netherworld.
“It was a process that used to start well in advance of the festival and we would prepare the clay required by crushing bricks. In those days, we would distribute onathappans to nearby households and get rice and other items required for the traditional sadya in return,” he reminisces.
Jayan says his mother started making onathappans when she was a young girl and still continues to make them despite being 78 years old. “There are many rituals associated with the onathappan, and they are placed in odd numbers around the house for many of them. Nowadays, those who look at it from a commercial angle can make a good income making and selling onathappans, along with colourful depictions of Mahabali and so on,” he says.
Jayan adds that due to the significance of the Thrikkakkara temple (where Vamana is the presiding deity) in the origin of the onathappan, its use in Onam rituals is mostly centered in and around Ernakulam district, with the rest of the State slowly adopting it in local rituals.
Chenda melamFor Rajesh T.R. Onam tends to be a busier time. Shop inaugurations, club programmes, weddings…the auspicious month of Chingam is a benevolent time for percussion troupes such as Rajesh’s Panikasseri Kalanikethan. “We get advance bookings...It is a good time for us.” A troupe comprises 12 to 21 members depending on what the client wants.
As the season progresses the number of programmes per day increase to three or four. If a troupe gets around Rs. 9000 per appearance, each member would make around Rs. 800 per show. “And this is for an hour’s work which is not too bad,” Rajesh says. He, however, adds that these are special rates for Onam, the regular months the rates are lesser. This is that time of the year that everybody has a reason to look to forward to it.
