476 bulls and 550 tamers participate in Avaniyapuram Jallikattu

MADURAI: As many as 476 bulls ran through the Vadivasal while 550 tamers tried to tame them in this year’s first Jallikattu in the southern districts that was held at Avaniyapuram in Madurai city on Tuesday. Due to the difference between two sides in organizing the event this year at Avaniyapuram, it was conducted by the district administration as directed by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.


The event began at 8am in the presence of the district collector S Natarajan, Madurai city police commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham and representatives of the Animal Welfare Board of Indian. The event was conducted in eight rounds in which close to 75 tamers tried their best to tame the bulls and qualify to take part in the next round. Some bulls sent the tamers for a toss, while some were tamed.


Others ran past the arena without much action, to the disappointment of audience. The sport was paused for a few minutes when a bull fell ill. Officials said that 44 persons were injured in the Jallikattu, of whom 36 persons including tamers, handlers and public were treated in the nearest primary health centre. Eight badly injured persons were referred to Government Rajaji Hospital for tertiary care. It is learnt that all of them were out of danger.

Thousands of public and tourists witnessed the event but the difference between the two parties resulted in lesser turnout this year compared to the last two years. Since many locals boycotted the event the prizes distributed this year was much lesser, disappointing tamers as well as bull owners who had brought it from faraway places including Madurai, Erode and Salem in western Tamil Nadu and from districts in and around Madurai.

24-four-year-old Thirunavukarasu from Muthupatti in Avaniyapuram was judged the best bull tamer as he tamed nine bulls. The BBA graduate who works for a private bank said that he has been taming bulls over the last six years and won a few prizes in those events. “It is the first time I am winning the overall prize and I am delighted in winning the best tamer title for the first time, that to in my village,” he said.