Car, gold coins tempt participants as Alanganallur gears up for Jallikattu after 3yrs

Alanganallur: A bonanza awaits competitors in the Feb 10 Jallikattu here, a famous venue for the bull taming sport, being held after a gap of three years with the organisers on Saturday announcing attractive prizes, including car, for the winner.

Besides the car, the winner of the event would also get gold coins, steel cupboard, cot and mega size vessels, the organisers said.

This town in Madurai District is famous for Jallikattu and used to attract a large number of spectators, including foreign tourists.

Jallikattu, usually held during the harvest festival of Pongal in mid-January, could not be organised in the past three years in view of the ban on the sport.

With the Tamil Nadu government promulgating an ordinance and subsequently getting a Bill passed in the state assembly allowing Jallikattu, the event is being held in several parts of the state in the past few days.

The government intervention came after a week-long protest largely by youths, including students, in the Marina Beach in Chennai, and elsewhere in the state, including here last month.

Organisers here said registration for the bulls and sportsmen would begin on Feb 6 and 7 respectively.

Meanwhile, a total of 400 bulls and 500 sportsmen participated in the Jallikattu organised at Ulagampatti in the district. The winners were given prizes ranging from silver coin to currency notes to furniture.