Bengaluru, Oct 2: Karnataka Forest minister B Ramanath Rai on Monday danced to the tunes of pili vesha or tiger dance, a folk dance unique to the Tulu Nadu region of the state.
Video clippings of his unexpected and enthusiastic dance performed during the ‘Walk for conservation of wildlife’ organised by the Karnataka Forest Department to mark the 63rd Wildlife week here, went viral on social media.
Tucked himself in a T-shirt and trousers, Rai took the walk between Cubbon Park, a prime lung space of the city, to Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, covering a distance of about 3kms.
While many of Rai’s fans wholeheartedly praised the energetic performance, his haters mocked him by passing comments on his tummy on Facebook and WhatsApp.
Rai, who hails from Bantwal taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, was excited by the eight member pili vesha team, during the walk and freed himself to join them in the performance.
"Pili vehsa is our culture. I have grown up seeing hundreds of such shows," he said. Rai performed to the tunes of the folk dance at least four times during the walk. He was cheered by volunteers and other participants for the every dance move he did.
Minister Rai was accompanied by multilingual actor Prakash Raj, and more than 1000 volunteers and public. Raj is the brand ambassador for the "Our Wild Life", a conservation and awareness campaign launched by the Karnataka Tourism department and Forest department.
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