M’luru gears up for high-octane Pili Vesha competitions

Mangaluru: Nearly 21 teams will take part in two major Pili Vesha (tiger dance) competitions set to be held in the city.
The third season of Kudla Pili Parba, organized by Kudla Samskritika Prathishtana, will take place on Friday at Nehru Maidan starting at 10am. Honorary president Giridhar Shetty told reporters on Wednesday that the event will be held under the guidance of former MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath.A seven-member panel of judges will oversee the competition.
Ten teams will participate, each given 20 minutes to perform. A key element of the competition is the "Akki Mudi" throw (throwing the rice bale using teeth), and teams will also be judged on various aspects including Karihuli, Marihuli, and Dharani Mandala. The top three teams will receive cash prizes, and individual awards will be given for the most disciplined team, best entry/ exit, parbada pili, Mari Huli, kappu pili, Mudi, tasse, painting, Dharani Mandala and so on.
The event will be attended by notable artists like Rishab Shetty, Raj B Shetty, Devadas Kapikad, Anoop Sagar, Rupesh Shetty and others. Seating arrangements have been made in a gallery for 5,000 visitors, and each participating team will receive Rs 50,000.
Pili Nalike on Oct 12
The ninth season of the Pili Nalike competition, organized by Pili Nalike Prathishtana in collaboration with Namma TV, will be held on Saturday at the Karavali Utsav Maidan. Eleven top teams from across the district will compete, with prizes worth Rs 18 lakh. The winning team will receive Rs 5 lakh and the opportunity to perform in Bahrain. Each team will be given an honorarium of Rs 50,000, and there will be six individual awards.
Mithun Rai, president of Pili Nalike Prathishtana, told reporters on Thursday that the competition also includes a social initiative to support the higher education of one member from every team. This initiative aims to foster both education and the preservation of the art form over time. Celebrities from Bollywood, Sandalwood, and cricket, including cricketer Shivam Dube, are expected to attend. National award-winning actor Rishab Shetty will also be felicitated during the event.