Madurai: As the much-awaited Jallikattu festival is set to begin in Madurai, the bullfighters and the bulls are gearing up for the grand opening of the sport in Avaniyapuram, on Monday.
Avaniypuram hosts the first major event on Pongal day, January 14. The next one will be held on January 15 at Palamedu, and Alanganallur will enthrall the visitors on January 16. All three events remain a major attraction for participants and spectators.
The Madurai City Police have outlined its plans for the smooth conduct of the Avaniyapuram Jallikatttu event and have sought the cooperation of the participants and bull owners. They have announced specific measures for bull entries and traffic regulation.
1,100 bulls in fray
According to Commissioner of Police, J Loganathan, a total of 1,100 bulls will participate, and only the bull's owner and handler, with valid tokens issued by the district administration, will be allowed to bring the bulls to Mullai Nagar on Tirupparankundram Road for queuing at 5 am.
Owners must carry their Aadhaar cards, and both the bull owners and handlers will be scanned using QR codes to verify their participation. Bulls will be grouped into batches, with entry times based on token numbers, starting from 5 am for bulls numbered 1-100. Strict action will be taken against those using fake tokens or intoxicated handlers.
After the bulls are released through the "Vadivasal". they can be collected from designated collection points near the Semboorani Road water tank. Vadivasal is the designated gate for the bulls to enter the arena where players lay in wait to tame the bulls.
Traffic regulation
The traffic around Avaniyapuram will be restricted on Tuesday. Vehicles from specific routes, including those from Periyar Statue and Tirupparankundarm, will be diverted. Designated parking areas have been set up for vehicles coming from different locations. These measures aim to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the event for both participants and spectators.
The tradition
Jallikattu, believed to be practiced for over 2,000 years has faced many legal challenges. In 2006, the Madras High Court banned the practice following a spectator's death, and the Supreme Court also upheld the ban in 2014 due to animal welfare concerns.
However, following protests, the Tamil Nadu government lifted the ban temporarily in 2017 and amended the prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to allow Jallikattu. In May 2023, the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench upheld these amendments, allowing Jallikattu and other traditional bull-taming sports to continue in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Karisalkulam Deepak who is busy preparing his bulls, including Ramu and Suri, for the prestigious event, shared his insights into preparations and challenges faced by bullfighters and committees organising Jallikattu.
"We train our bulls with daily walking exercises, breathing routines through swimming, and strength-building exercises like hitting earth mounds with their horns. These practices help prepare the animals physically and mentally for the challenges they will face during the competition," he explained.
Deepak, who has been part of Jallikattu for the past 34 years, takes great pride in training his bulls for the event. He said, "I am preparing my bulls to participate in seven districts across Tamil Nadu. We raise these bulls as our children, providing them with special care and attention." His training is centred around creating a bond with the bulls and ensuring they are fit and ready for the festival.
Raising bulls as their own kids
"These (bulls) are like our kids. We take care of them like our kids. This is our profession," PTI quoted bull owner Saravanan as saying. "We care for them with more quantity of foods, especially during Jallikattu. They will go to all Jallikattu places, including Alanganallur, Palamedu mainly. When they go to the competition, they have never lost so far, they will definitely win and return home. Nobody has ever caught our bulls and it is a big matter of pride for us"
Latchumi, a care taker of the bulls said, "We provide all such foods including cotton seeds, oil cakes, rice flour, dates, eggs and bananas."
The bulltamers
The bullfighters are preparing hard by fasting, doing appropriate exercises including swimming, to participate in these Jallikattu competitions.
Sivanesh, a bull fighter said, "People mock us for roaming with the bulls. But we consider this as our profession, even though we go for other works. We do it for the sake of our village, in order to bring pride to our village. So far our brother Ajay has brought pride to our village through his bull catching skills. We have won 2nd place in Alanganallur, 1st place in Sathirapatti with a car as a gift and we have won 1st place in 11 other places. Compared to the previous years, we will bring more pride to our village this time, that too in Alanganallur and Palamedu we will definitely hold a separate place with our victory."
The issues
Some feel the sport's registration has to be more transparent. While Deepak appreciates the online registration system, he believes there are areas that need improvement. "This year, we have 2,000 bulls registered for Avaniyapuram, 5,000 for Alanganallur, and 4,000 for Palamedu. The process should be more transparent. There is unnecessary involvement of money, politics, and power," he said.
Deepak also feels that large prizes have shifted the focus from the traditional values of the event to material rewards. He said, "In the past, gifts like lamps, eggs and Dhoti and Thundu were given as prizes, but now cars and expensive items are offered. This has led to unhealthy competition and jealousy among participants."
Deepak's request is simple. He says that the focus should be on the best bulls and not the prices. "The festival committees should take charge and politicians should not interfere," he added.
He also suggested that instead of offering individual prizes like cars and bikes, the money should be pooled and distributed among all participating bulls. "This would create a fairer and more inclusive environment for the bulls and their trainers," he added.
He highlighted the financial strain of transporting bulls for competitions. "It costs between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 to transport a bull for competitions within a 30 Km radius. The costs are high and raising bulls is becoming very challenging, he said.
