Jallikattu - an ancient bull wrestling festival

 Come mid January and the  whole of India basks in the colorful aura of festivity surrounding the harvest and Indian version of thanksgiving festival.  The sun’s transit from Tropic of cancer to tropic of Capricorn is celebrated under different names  with differing customs and traditions across different communities of India, predominantly the farming community.

There is one region which along with celebrating the harvest festival braces itself to receive cultural tourists for an unique pongal related sport called Jallikattu. Jallikattu, a 2000 year old bull wrestling festival held in the southern region of Tamilnadu around Madurai districts attracts tourists from India and abroad.  

  

                               Image courtesy: Google

Open grounds in this region  are barricaded with bamboo  logs  and  transformed into gladiator arenas. A ferocious bull of the kangeyam breed is decorated with colorful ballons,flowers, ribbons  and kunkum.This bull bursts from its pen into the arena with its colorful razor shop horns. Bundles of money are tied to its horns, which can be taken by anyone who dares to do so. Some men scramble away while others launch themselves on the bull’s back. One by one, the bull flings them off and thunders through the ground. The winner is the person who tames the bull  and reaches the winning post. He gets hold ofthe prize money tied to the horns and all the goodies through the year like cash, watches, garments etc.,. Sometimes, more than one bull is released into the arena.

  A sea of people bubble up to watch the electrifying event. There are commentators who give commentary punctuating  the already charged atmosphere with tension and goad the men to run for the money.  

 Although similar to the bull fights of Spain , this is older and there is one big difference. Unlike the Spanish fights, the bull is not killed here. Thus making it one of a kind in the world.

Only daring men take part in this game. The villagers see it as a sport to display their macho power, there is a huge drawback though. This is believed to be a dangerous sport in that there are many casualties sometimes the men are fatally gored, and the raging bull runs amok killing spectators. The supreme court had banned jallikattu a few years back but revoked the ban  owing to its popularity but subject to some rules and regulations. The bulls are subject to a round of screening.  Police and medical help with ambulances are all around. 

For those of them, who fancy to make their travel experience a little out of ordinary, this spectacle can provoke various feelings ranging from excitement, thrill, shock and anger.  But the show goes on every year.

 Here's wishing you all a happy Lohri, Pongal, Sankranti, Uttarayan, bihu or whatever be the name:)