FESTIVAL EXTRAVAGANZA- JALLIKATTU

               

             A festival or a gala occasion is often centered to a particular community or a society. Over time, the tradition and practice change as this isn’t followed in some places or the fact is that the mode of celebration and merriness changes from time to time. Many religions follow festivals constrained to them and their ritual way of commemorating it. Usually a festival is associated with a traditional dance, song, game or rituals to be performed. Jallikattu is one such game in Tamil Nadu which is nothing but the art of taming the bull.

          As a part of ‘Pongal’ celebrations in Tamil Nadu, Jallikattu is a bull taming sport which is usually played during ‘mattu pongal’ (the festival pongal is celebrated for three days. The third day is celebrated as mattu pongal, when bulls and cows are worshipped). This is a tradition old game which has evolved from popular Tamil classical period and which is being followed in villages of Tamil Nadu even today.

          This form of sport is mostly centered to Madurai district. But it has become a legendary game in villages of other districts like Alanganallur, Tiruvapur, Sravayal near Karaikudi, Kanduppatti near Sivagangai etc. There is a strenuous training of the Jallikattu bulls and are fed with complete nutritious food to compensate and withstand the preparation.

          This game today, is under a serious threat to several bullfighters and villagers who come to participate. There have been numerous deaths and severe injuries to them every time when Jallikattu happens. This has led cases to the Supreme Court concerning risk to the public safety. Copious oppose from animal activists, public and Animal Welfare Board of India were remonstrating this issue. Another reason about this sport is that, this was a game for the girls in the village or the locality to choose their apt life partner who is bold, strong and intellectual. As time passed by, this has become a business for a few. In some cases, there have been investments on this game and this has rather become like a bet game at times. The beauty of this game lies in the Vadam manjuvirattu which is a version of Jallikattu in which the bull is tied to a 50-foot-long rope and is free to move within this space. The training is not only given to the bull. But an arduous practice to the bull fighters or the matadors which has been progressed from years, involves building body and stamina.

         This sport or game is one of the age old traditions of Tamil Nadu. But the controversies behind it today, which implicated in killing and injuring hundreds of people is still on the run as many organizations and NGO’s are opposing this game.