Knowledge Nugget: Jallikattu festival begins in Tamil Nadu. Why understanding its cultural roots matters for UPSC exam

In today’s knowledge nugget, learn about the two famous traditional sports that includes animals – Jallikattu and Kambala.

Key takeaways:

# Jallikattu

1. Jallikattu, also known as eruthazhuvuthal, is a bull-taming sport traditionally played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival. The festival is a celebration of nature, and thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, of which cattle-worship is part.

2. According to the website of the Tamil Nadu government, “the history of this bullfight dates back to 400-100 BCE when it was played by the Ayars, an ethnic group in India. The name is coined from two words, Jalli (silver and gold coins) and Kattu (tied).”

3. In this festival, a bull is let loose among a crowd of people, and whoever tames it will get the coins tied to its horn. The people who participate in the sport try to hold on to the animal’s hump to stop it. Sometimes, they run along with the bull.

4. Pulikulam or Kangayam is the breed of bulls used for the sport. This festival has been part of cultural tourism in the state. Vadi manjuviraṭṭu, Vēli viraṭṭu, and Vaṭam manjuviraṭṭu are the variants of this sport.

5. Jallikattu is considered a traditional way for the peasant community to preserve their pure-breed native bulls. At a time when cattle breeding is often an artificial process, conservationists and peasants argue that Jallikattu is a way to protect these male animals which are otherwise used only for meat if not for ploughing.

#Kambala festival

1. It is a folk sport practised in coastal Karnataka districts, especially in regions where Tulu speakers form a majority. It is a matter of prestige for many families, especially from the Bunt community in the coastal areas. They groom pairs of buffaloes throughout the year in the hope of winning a Kambala event.

2. According to the website of the Ministry of Tourism, some consider that the Kambala festival is observed to commemorate Lord Kadri Manjunatha, a manifestation of Lord Shiva, for a bountiful crop. Others say that the event was started by the farmers of Karnataka. It is also believed that the Hoysala Kings started the racing custom to determine if buffaloes could be trained and utilised in warfare.

Kambala event of 2023 in coastal Karnataka. (Express photo by Jithendra M)

3. Kambala is generally held under four categories. First is Negilu (plough), where light ploughs are used to tie buffaloes for the race. The event is for entry-level animals.

4. The second is Hagga (rope), where buffaloes are raced by jockeys with just a rope tying the pair together. The third category is Adda Halage, in which jockeys stand over a horizontal plank dragged by buffaloes. Thus, unlike Hagga and Negilu, where jockeys run behind the animals, in this, buffaloes drag the jockeys.

5. Kane Halage is the fourth category, where a wooden plank is tied to buffaloes. The plank, on which the jockeys stand, has two holes through which water gushes out as the plank is dragged along the slush tracks. The height to which water splashes determines the winner of the event.

# Maramadi

According to the official website of Kerala Tourism, Maramadi, also known as Kalappoottu or Pothottam, is a bull race conducted in the villages of Kerala after the harvest season. In this festival, a vast stretch of freshly ploughed paddy fields (kandams) form the ‘stadium’ for the race. The most famous among the Maramadi races is held at Anandhapalli village in Pathanamthitta district during the Onam festival.

# Bailgada Sharyat

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the Maharashtrian version of bullock cart racing was known as Bailgada Sharyat, a 450-year-old tradition of the farmers of Konkan, western Maharashtra, and Marathwada. In this race, four fast bulls pull the cart for a distance of 350-450 feet on the racing track, and the team with the highest speed is considered the winner.  

BEYOND THE NUGGET: The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act

1. The PCA Act defines cruelty to animals –– including acts of overburdening or overworking it, not providing the animal food, water and shelter, mutilating or killing an animal, etc.

2. The act lays down punishment as “in the case of a first offence, with fine which shall not be less than ten rupees but which may extend to fifty rupees, and in the case of a second or subsequent offence committed within three years of the previous offence, with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five rupees but which may extend to one hundred rupees or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with both.”

3. The practice of Jallikattu, Kambala and other festivals involving animals have long been contested, with animal rights groups and the courts expressing concern over cruelty to animals and the bloody and dangerous nature of the sport that sometimes causes death and injuries to both the animal and human participants.

4. In 2023, A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the amendments made by the legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, allowing bull-taming sports like jallikattu, kambala, and bullock-cart races.

Post Read Question

Consider the following animals based festivals with states where they are predominantly celebrated:

1. Kambala – Andhra Pradesh

2. Jallikattu – Tamil Nadu

3. Maramadi – Bihar

Which of the above is/are correct?

(a) 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(Sources: Jallikattu has global importance, only state can organise: Madras High Court, Explained: As Jallikattu begins, recalling the cultural argument for an ancient tradition, SC upholds validity of Jallikattu: here’s all you need to know about Tamil Nadu’s traditional bull-taming sport, Kambala comes to Bengaluru: How buffalo race’s popularity outran bans)

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