Thousand flocked to India''s southern Madurai in Tamil Nadu state towatch the famed traditional bull fight or ''Jallikattu''
on Thursday (January17).''Jallikattu''--Indian bull
fighting or taming the bull, which dates backhundreds of years, is a major event in villages of south India and is held asa thanksgiving ceremony for the animals that have helped in farm activitiesall year round.The event was held amidst tight security after India''s apex Supreme Courtconditionally granted permission for the event to take place on January 15,lifting an earlier ban on ''Jallikattu'' which the court had imposed citingcruelty to animals as the main reason.The ban, which was imposed on January 11, was lifted following protestsfrom a large number of villagers in Madurai in Tamil Nadu on January 13against the verdict.The conditional lifting of ban has made the people happy in the southernstate as they rejoiced during ''Jallikattu'' and participated with full fervorand gaiety.
animal rights activists in Tamil Nadu had for long waged a war againstcontinuing the decades old tradition of bull fighting during Pongal, theharvest festival, terming it as the worst form of animal abuse in the name ofa sport.The event, which saw locals and foreigners in full strength, wasappreciated by one and all for the thrills and adventure it provided to thespectators.The objective of Jallikattu is to wrest the bounty, which is held in acloth bag tied between the horns of the bulls.An agitated bull is let loose to run amok in an open space as a number ofpeople attempt to tame the animal by controlling its horns with the victortaking the prize money home.The horns of the adorned bulls are wet before the event and the animal isrubbed down with oil making it more difficult to hold onto. To add to it thebulls are drugged with steroids and are sometimes made to drink alcohol inorder to enrage them preparing for the event.