Jallikattu * - A Battle of Men Vs Bulls * - Madurai report ~

First, we should know what is Jallikattu?

In ancient days, in Tamil Nadu, it had been conducted to measure the calibre of one's (men) Braveness by controlling a ferocious bull. Again it'd been one of the ways by which the brides of ancient Tamil had selected their grooms, by testing whether they were brave or coward, since the first priority had been given to those, one who were brave.

Later on, it has transformed into a game of both exhibiting braveness and a crowd pulling. A gathering of thousands of thousands people have been watching this under the burning Sun, since it's been played in open ground.

First of all, the strength and the firmness of the horns of the bull is to be tested. For that the bulls have been trained to pierce the ground with it's horns. The bull's strength has been calculated by the way, at what length their horns has steeped into the ground. In order to obtain that, their horns have been slightly shaved off and made sharp so as to pierce the ground, in other words onto the 'human body'.

A special training for 'chasing the crowd' has been given to the bulls, by tied a rope at one end of it's neck and the other end with the trainer, by setting up the 'dummies of crowd' before it and order to dash on the dummies. Apart from this, two dummies have been made to dash on the bull and make it angry, so that it could plunge on the dummies.

A special training has been given for the 'hump', since it's been the griping part of that bull, with it's help one could hold the hump firmly and could able to control the bull to lay down. For that, the trainer has tied up a mannequin (dummy having human resemblance) with it's hump and hang over it's body.

Due to the inconvenience, it has experienced on it's hump, it jump awkwardly here and there and pierce the dummy with it's horns and tear it into pieces. Like this, one another training is also there, for not touching their tails. For this the bulls are trained to kick back with it's two back legs on the person, when it's been touched with it's tail.

To make the legs of the bull, to grow strong, they are given a good running practice at regular intervals. Again, in addition, the bulls have been given a severe swimming practice also.

The next one is, the practice which is concentrated on the 'Vadi vasal' (the way through the bulls are led into the catching-field).This 'Vad vasal, is the safe hiding place for the bull-catchers, in order to hold it's hump, so that to travel on it's back safely to some extent, even the bull jump awkwardly here and there. In some cases, the bull catchers have been declared as winner, provided for how much time he has been holding it's hump.

In order to train the bulls, to be careful on the 'vadivasal', a setup like the 'vadivasal' has been installed and on both side of that vadivasl, the dummies are made to stand around. When the bull is freed through the vadivasal-setup, the trainer has moved the dummies around the entrance to lean on the bull. Here the bull has been given training, that how to tackle that situation.

Only, the trainer or the owner (in some case both are same) is allowed to go near the bull, others are treated like enemies (bull-catchers) to them. Having used those techniques, which had given off the field, the bulls could easily use it horns to pierce, legs to kick and hump to throw down the opponents at the catching field.

So as to say that 'Jallikattu' is nothing but a real battle between men and bulls.

From the calf itself, a best 'future-bull' has been identified from it's jaw, majestic look and it's brisk eyes. That calf hasn't been separated from it's mother, after being identified as the future-bull. It's allowed to drink all the milk from it's mother.

Having passed over the milking season, that calf has been separated from it's flock and while doing so, automatically it's anger and the dashing nature has been gradually increased. It's never been added with other cattle.

It's been not allowed to smell the dungs of other bulls or cows. Their cattle shed has been properly maintained even without having small stones, that could harm that calf. It's been fed with rich cotton seeds, coconut, raw rice, white solam (grain) and other cattle feeds.

The bulls should be given food without having time passed and if so, it could even pierce it's owner or it's trainer, as the result of hunger. During their breeding season also, they have been never allowed to mingle with the female.

These bulls would have been guarded with 'horse shoes' at proper time, before they have been let down into the catching field, Otherwise, it could harm their legs. If all those aforesaid precautions could have been maintained properly, it's very sure that the bulls could have challenged the catchers definitely.

In course of time, jallikattu have turned into a game of tradition and culture and reflects it's ancestral fame. At the start, it had been for the groom selection, later turned into game of tradition. Nowadays the horns of the bulls have been also tied with the bag of money, the one who control the bull could have kept that money with him.

There have been three kinds of Jallikattu as follows:

1. Through Vadivasal, the bulls have been freed into the catching fied. The catchers would hang on the hump and would travel along the bull, the catcher would have been declared as winner on the basis of time, how long he could hold it's hump, in prior, the organizer had already set a time span for that.

2. On the open ground, the bull have been unleashed and got ready for the game between them and the catchers.

3. Vadam Manju virattu, the bull have been tied on its both side with the 50 feet length of rope by it's trainer or owner and the catchers not exceeding the number of 9 could approach the bull and should unleash the money bag, which has been tied up with it's horn within the time limit of 30 minutes.

All these bull-games have been conducted mainly in Madurai (Alanganallur, Palamedu and Avaniyapuram) and Sivagangai (Siravayal, Aralipaarai, Kandipatti and S.Pudur) Districts in Tamil Nadu, India.

First of all, it has been a great honor for the man who has been awarded as 'man of the game', one who empowers the game on that day.

Next to the honor, various prizes have been awarded to the winners of the game like gold coin, silverware, cot, dressing shelves, motorcycle, cycle, sheep and cow-calf etc. Normally, it's rule that only one person should control the bull. If a group of more than one could attempt the same which has been declared as foul play.

When the bulls, having prepared for the battle, the bull catchers also are doing their part that they have been playing the game 'Kabadi' (it's Tamilian's traditional game) in order to prepare themselves to fit with the battle field.

Again they would make a visit to the place where they would have gone to the contest and would know about the characteristics of the bull's owner or trainer, so that they might have known about the characteristics of the bulls, since the characteristics of the bulls and it's owner's are more or less the same.

The bull's owners are spending more money for it's regular food, even it would some times exceed the limit of Rs.1000/- per day. The bulls used in the contest, have been sold at the rate of Rs.75,000/- to 1,00,000/-.

So this has been the war of traditional and cultural event, having followed by every year,even it had some hurdles in the form of interim ban by the court. Normally it has been conducted in the Tamil month of 'Thai' on the day, next to Pongal, which has been called as the farmer's day So with this, here i conclude this hub and i expect your feedback as it is.