In ancient times, Jallikattu basically bull was initially a ceremony to select a groom to marry the maiden as the one who will be the successful tamer would qualify as the groom. Later it emerged as a sport for adventure aspect and was common in the Ayar group of people and it provided the opportunity to people to showcase their bravery, courage and get rewarded with prize money which encouraged people to participate in more numbers.
History
Jallikattu is an ancient sport that was first played around 2000 years ago in 400-100 BC that is during Tamil classical period and the Pandya rule in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a bull-taming sport which is played as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day. Ancient Tamil Sangams described this practice as yeru thazhuvuthal which etymologically means ‘bull embracing’, whereas the modern term jallikattu or sallikattu is derived from salli that is ‘coins’ and kattu meaning 'package', after combining which refers to the package of coins tied around bull’s horns. It is said to have evolved before the Spain’s bullfight.
About Jallikattu
It is a traditional spectacle, in which a bull basically belonging to Pulikulam and Kangayam breeds, is released into the crowd where the participants tries to grab the large hump of probably prize money from bull’s back with their arms and hang on it, attempting the bull to stop. They are sometimes also required to ride on the bull and remove the flag from the bull’s horns. There is a yellow pouch which is filled with coins and is tied on bull’s horns and the tamer is expected to get it. There is a special name of the gate from which the bull enters and is called Vadi Vasal. There are variations of sports such as:
Vadi Manjuvirattu- The bull is released from a closed space and tries to wrap their hands around the horn of the bull. Only one person is allowed at a time. This version of the game is famous in places like Salem, Thanjavur, Theni, and Madurai.
Veli Virattu- The bull is directly left in the ground and just like Vadi Manjubirattu, only one person can attempt to get the hump. It is famous in Madurai and Sivangangai.
Vatam Manjuvirattu- The bull is tied with a rope and a team of 7 to 9 members can attempt to untie the gift from bull’s horn. The time period is 30 minutes.
It is celebrated on 3rd day of Pongal which is a 4-day harvest festival as people offer their prayers to bulls, cows and other farm animals and then later play this game as they believe that not participating or involving in such sport which ultimately displeases the local deities such as Lord Muniswara. As it is said that success requires efforts, similarly many efforts are put together in order to lead a successful event. Various preparations are done for the event such as a written permission is required from the collector at least 30 days before the event. Various safety measures are taken to avoid injuries to the spectators such as the gate is double- barricaded. Complete tests by the authorities of the Animal Husbandry Department to ensure that the chemicals such as drugs or liquor are not used on the animals.
There is a professional league called Jallikattu Premier League which was announced on 24th February 2018.
Rules
If two people grab the hump, then neither of them wins.
Holding any other part of the bull’s body except the hump leads to disqualification.
In various versions, the rule is that if the participant falls from the then he loses.
Ban and protests
But due to rise in the number of deaths during the game of both human beings and bulls, animal welfare organisations such as the Federation of Indian Animal Protection (FIAPO) and PETA, India have protested against the practice. Around 43 humans and 4 bulls died in such events from 2008 to 2014, whereas in 2017, there were 23 deaths along with 2,500 injured.
The case was filed in the Supreme Court of India for putting on a ban on Jallikattu on the basis of cruelty to animals and threat to public safety. The concerns are related to the handling of bulls as participants are not capable of handling it with safety leading to the fracturing of vertebrae and other injuries to bulls.
The Supreme Court on 27th November 2010 permitted the Government of Tamil Nadu to allow the event to take place only 5 months in a year and ordered for compulsory registration of animals used in the event to the Animal Welfare Board. The organizers of the event were required to submit around 2 Lakh sum of money in case of some accident or injury. In 2011, the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a notification which banned the usage of bulls and thus banning the event. Under the state law, the practice continued to take place but later the Supreme Court removed the state law and banning the event altogether.
In 2016, the Ministry of Environment and Forests allowed the event to take place but under some conditions but the Supreme Court stopped the act. Various protest were held to uplift the ban from the people of Tamil Nadu whereas PETA is in favor of a complete ban. The legal situation of the sport is still in a seesaw condition and is not clear.
There is a dire need for a solution as safety comes first before anything else and one must not forget that the safety of animals is equal to that of humans.
