Jallikattu 2024: Over 12,000 Bulls and 4,500 Tamers Registered In Madurai

Ahead of the upcoming Jallikattu competitions scheduled to be held in Madurai, coinciding with the local harvest festival Pongal, a consultative meeting on the bull-taming events took place at the Madurai District Collectorate (DC) on Thursday (January 10), led by State Minister Moorthy.

Addressing the media post-meeting, the minister stated, "Jallikattu events are set for Avaniyapuram on January 15, followed by the Palamedu Jallikattu competition in Palamedu village on January 16, and the world-renowned Alanganallur Jallikattu competition on the 17th."

He added, "The best bull and the best bull-tamer in the three Jallikattu events will each win a car." The minister further mentioned, "12,176 bulls and 4,514 bull tamers from across the state have enlisted online to participate in Jallikattu competitions in the district. Entries will be scrutinized, and those with double entries or incomplete documents will be rejected."

As per information provided, a total of 2,400 bulls and 1,318 tamers have been registered for Avaniapuram Jallikattu, 3,677 bulls and 1,412 tamers for Palamedu Jallikattu, and 6,099 bulls and 1,784 tamers for the Alanganallur event.

Notably, Sri Lanka recently hosted its inaugural Jallikattu event in Trincomalee, with the Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman and Malaysian Member of Parliament Saravanan Murugan inaugurating the event on January 6. Jallikattu, a traditional bull-embracing sport, is popularly played in Tamil Nadu during the Pongal harvest festival in the second week of January.

In 2014, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on Jallikattu, but in 2017, the Tamil Nadu government passed an ordinance to permit the event, introducing regulations to ensure the safety of participants and bulls. Following strong protests against the ban, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Tamil Nadu government's law allowing Jallikattu in May 2023. A five-judge Constitution bench heard petitions challenging laws in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra allowing Jallikattu and bullock cart races. The Tamil Nadu government defended the event, asserting its cultural significance, and argued there was no cruelty involved in Jallikattu competitions.