Thanjavur: “This bull is from Ventayampatti. This is one of the strongest bulls. Youth can now tame it,” announces a person through a loud speaker.
All the onlookers watch the ‘Vadivasal’ from where the bull is to be released. Youth wearing yellow shirts, selected for taming the bull surround the ‘Vadivasal’ to pounce upon the bull. As the bull is released, a few youth try to cling to the hump of the bull but one succeeds. He holds it for a distance. He is declared the winner. Prizes are disbursed. This was the scene at Vallam near Thanjavur on Tuesday.
Even as people of entire Tamil Nadu were glued to television sets to know the verdict of Supreme court in the disproportionate wealth case against V.K.Sasikala, people of Vallam and surrounding villages were on a different engagement on Tuesday. .
They were celebrating the ‘jallikattu’, a traditional sport restored by them through a uniform struggle throughout the state. While 400 youth registered and tamed the bulls, there were thousands of viewers, almost on top of all the buildings in the barricaded street through which the bulls ran, on the sides of the road behind the barricades and perched on the trees. Nearly 380 bulls participated in the ‘jallikattu’.
Bharathidasan and Balaguru were two youths who came from Kohampatti village in Pudukottai district. They tamed the bulls. They said that they used to participate in ‘jallikattu’ at Thirukanurpatti near Thanjavur every year. As ‘jallikattu’ was not held for the last three years, they did not take part. The event at Vallam is the first in Thanjavur district after restoration of the traditional sport. “We are happy to participate. We got some prizes also,” they told DC with pride.
Durairaj, a farm worker from Kurunkulam said that watching ‘jallikattu’ was his favourite hobby. He said that Thirukanurpatti ‘jallikattu’ will be on a grand scale and preparations are going on for the sport at Thirukanurpatti, where it is scheduled to be held on Feb 24, he said.
Surya and Satheesh of Marunkulam are two students studying in a private college at Thanjavur. They skipped classess and came to see ‘jallikattu’. There were lots of college students also who witnessed the sport.
A.Annadurai, Thanjavur district collector inaugurated the ‘jallikattu’ in the morning. He said that veterinary doctors from Animal husbandry department checked the bulls before they were released. A separate ambulance was kept to carry injured animals. Similarly medical check up was done to youth who were to tame the bulls. A separate ambulance for them and fire tenders from fire and rescue service department were kept ready. “We followed all the guidelines issued by Supreme court for conducting the sport,” the collector said.
