Berhampur, April 23: Around 31 artistes, dressed as tigers, performed on the streets of the city yesterday.

The artistes, who belong to the Tulasi Nagar Vyabasayi Sangh, performed bagha nacha or tiger dance to offer homage to Goddess Budhi Thakurani as a part of the ongoing Budhi Thukurani yatra.

The sangh has performed the tiger dance eight times for the past 16 years.

" Bagha nacha is an ancient form of dance. Goddess Thakurani rides a tiger. Hence, whoever dresses like a tiger is said to get her blessings. It's a tradition," said sangh secretary R. Murali Mohan.

The yatra also included 51 artistes dressed as Hanuman, 21 as Bhim, one each as Ravan, Surpanakha and Bana Durga, and five as demons. Sabara, a 20-member group of musicians, took out a grand procession from Tulasi Nagar to Desi Behera Sahi.

"The tiger dance costume costs Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 and many can't afford it. However, we have been sponsoring them for the devotees since the past 16 years," Mohan said.

"Although, tiger dance is performed in Andhra Pradesh and Bengal in different forms, but the performance here is unique. Neither the costumes nor the dhampa drumbeats have any resemblance to any classical dance form," said Pradeep Mahapatra, a reader in journalism and mass communication at the Berhampur University.

"It takes three-and-a-half hours to paint a person in bagha vesha (tiger attire). At least two people are engaged in painting one person. We, as a group, paint about 200 men during the yatra. I have been in the business since the past 16 years," said Raj Kumar Behera, who has learnt the techniques of such painting from Hadubandhu Behera, his father.

Though a tiger dance artiste does not need to be a professional dancer, the dance requires regular practice sessions under the guidance of a mentor.

An aspiring bagha nacha artiste undergoes two to four weeks of training.