Kaup:   The much awaited and revered ‘Pilikola’ began at a village in  Kaup on May 5, Saturday and is drawing huge crowds. This is an annual event and one of the most ancient religious ritual of the Tulunad which is observed in Padu village near Kaup. Thousands of people are witnessing this five daylong celebration.

Traditionally Pilikola is a ten day event, but the number of days has been reduced to five in the recent times.

Pilikola has a man dressed as a tiger. He gets possessed and then goes around in the town for hunting. Belief says that anyone whom the Tiger touches would face danger or may even die before another Pilikola is held after two years. On the first day of the event, the Tiger roamed for about two kms in the village and is learnt to have touched five persons who have already come to the temple to pray to the Daiva to ward off any imminent threat to their life or any misfortune.

Another peculiar practice is that the Pili or the tiger returns to the Daivasthana and celebrates its victory each time it touches any person.

Thousands of people not only from the district but also from far off places including Mumbai are witnessing this interesting event.