Madurai teenager preps her bull for traditional Jallikattu festival

With South Tamil Nadu all set to play host to the annual Jallikattu festival, Darshini, a Class IX student, who has been training a bull owned by her family, is confident that he will emerge victorious in the traditional sport.

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): Madurai is all set to celebrate Jallikattu with people prepping their bulls for the annual traditional bull-taming sport, with the first event being held at the district's Avaniapuram village followed by Palamedu and Alanganallur Panchayat towns in Tamil Nadu.

Darshini, a Class IX student, has for the past four years, been training a bull owned by her family for the annual spectacle.

Describing her relationship with the bull, Darshini's relative said, "She cannot tolerate if the bull is in discomfort. She does not care about winning or losing."

"I have been participating in the festival since I was 10-years-old, and I have been working with this bull for the past four years. I don't like to address him as a bull because I feel that he is a part of the family. I feed him in the morning before leaving for school and feed him again once I come back. He is, otherwise very friendly, but he has a character of his own when he enters the arena", said Darshini while caressing the bull.

The bulls are trained for months before being made to participate in the sport. Several mock taming sessions are organised across the state of Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court, in 2014, had banned Jallikattu in response to a plea filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and PETA, but the state government insisted that the sport was a crucial part of its culture and identity.

The ban was later lifted in January 2017 with an amendment to the law after massive protests were witnessed along the Marina beach in Chennai.