The popular Avaniyapuram Jallikattu, bull taming sport, commenced here on Tuesday on the day of harvest festival 'Pongal,' and the owner of the bull to be adjudged the best will get a tractor, and the outstanding bull tamer is set to get a car.
As the bulls, smeared with sandalpaste, leaped out of the 'Vadivasal,' the entrance to the sporting arena from the enclosure for animals, enthusiastic young men one after the other tried their best to get a hold around the bull's hump.
Over 1,000 bulls and 900 men are set to take part in the event. Prizes include tractor and car and police have made elaborate security arrangements.
On January 15 and 16, jallikattu will be held at Madurai's Palamedu and Alanganallur respectively.
Although days ago, a jallikattu event was held in Pudukottai district's Thatchankurichi, marking the commencement of the 2025 sporting season, the events in Madurai, beginning with Avaniyapuram here, are the most popular.
Earlier, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on May 18 upheld the amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 [PCA Act] permitting the traditional bull-taming sports of Jallikattu and Kambala and other bullock-cart races.
The five-judge Bench overruled the view taken by a two-judge Bench of the Court in its 2014 ruling in Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja, banning such sports— including Jallikattu.
What is Jallikattu?
Jallikattu, also known as ‘Eruthazhuvuthal’, is a bull-taming sport traditionally played in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu refers to silver or gold coins tied on bulls’ horns. In this, a bull is released into a field; whoever is able to take control of the bull by grabbing the large hump on its back wins the sport. It is typically a part of celebrations in Tamil Nadu on Mattu Pongal day, the third day of the four-day Pongal festival.
Controversy surrounding this sport?
The practice of jallikattu has long been contested, with animal rights groups expressing concern over cruelty to bulls. According to an investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals [PETA], between January and June 2017, 15 people and five bulls died and nearly 2,000 spectators were injured due to the sport.
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