Mangaluru: In what may prove to be a major damper on this year’s Dasara celebrations, the Dakshina Kannada district administration has decided to ban the famed tiger dance or Pili Vesha/Pili Nalike this year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tiger dance is a folk dance performed during Navratri to honour the Goddess Durga whose favoured animal is the tiger. The Mangaluru Dasara is one of the many festivals in the city that draws huge crowds of people.
The district administration’s decision has upset many, and the ‘Dasara Shobhayatre Samiti, Mangaladevi Temple, on October 8, had urged the district administration to permit a token performance of the Pili Vesha or Huli Vesha during the Navaratri chariot festivals of the Mangaladevi and Mariyamma temples.
Samiti president Dilraj Alva and members even submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra, who assured them that their demands would be taken into consideration during a meeting of the temple administrations on October 13.
Addressing the media on Saturday, October 10, at Hotel Woodlands, Dilraj Alva said, “The Pili Vesha is performed as a seva (service) to the deities not for pomp and show. The administration should allow its token performance during the Rathotsava of the two temples from October 24 to 26. Pili Nalike is not a western dance. Why not permit it during the Dasara, at least for a short period of time?”
“The Pili Nalike will strictly be held inside the temple premises and will not be performed anywhere else. The DC should consider our request and allow us to conduct the Pili Nalike only during the traditional rituals by following the Covid-19 rules,” he added.
He also informed that the Samiti had held a meeting in view of the restrictions imposed by the administration, where it was decided to deploy one member each from 10 Pili Vesha teams of the region for the token performance. The same was communicated to the DC, but he insisted on having the discussions on the topic during the temple administrations meet on October 13.
The 10 Pili Vesha teams that have been selected for this year’s Dasara are Mulihithlu Games Team, Mulihithlu Friends Circle, Adhi Maheshwari Friends Circle, Yemmekere Friends Circle, Young Guys Goraksha Dandu, New Yuvaka Mandala- Marnamikatta, Baby Raj Friends- Garodi, Geleyara Balaga- Arekerebail, and Mulihithlu Friends Tigers.
Samiti vice president Dinesh Kumpala, secretary Girish Shetty, coordinator Aneesh Bolar and member Alwyn Monteiro were present.
