Nail-biter Jallikattu at Tiruchy's Suriyur; one bull dead; 87 injured

TIRUCHY: The annual Jallikattu event in Periya Suriyur in Tiruchy opened with much fanfare on Mattu Pongal day with nail-biting contests between tamers and bulls.

At the end of the day, 87 tamers and spectators sustained injuries; of them, 15 were referred to the GH.

The event also saw the unfortunate death of a bull that collided with another at the Vadivasal.

Traditionally, the famous Periya Suriyur Jallikattu is held on the second day of Tamil month Thai (Mattu Pongal), coinciding with the Sri Narkadalkudi Karuppannasamy temple festival.

Arrangements for the event have been in full swing for the past month, with officials often visiting the arena to ensure safety norms.

On Wednesday, the temple bull was released at the arena to mark the commencement of the contest, and the event began at 8.05 am. The sport saw the participation of 681 bulls from Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Perambalur and Sivaganga, with 349 tamers, divided into seven teams, entering the field to test their hands at the competition.

The event closed around 4.50 pm with Ranjith of Navalpattu being crowned as the best tamer. He tamed 13 bulls and was presented with a two-wheeler.

The bull owned by Chellappa from Thiruvalarsolai in Tiruchy that collided with another bull in the vadivasal died on the spot and the carcass of the bull was removed by the staff from Veterinary Hospital in Palakkarai.

Meanwhile, 87 persons, including 35 spectators, sustained injuries. Among them, 15 persons, including Manikandan (38) from Tiruchy Edatheru, Ragavan (28) from Manikandam, Sarath (25) from Periya Suriyur, Arun Pandi (22) from Kongathirayanpatti and Manikandan (20) from Kallukudi, were referred to the Tiruchy GH for further treatment.

Former minister C Vijayabaskar’s bull Chinna Komban gave a tough fight to the tamers and no one could tame.

Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, who witnessed the event, handed the prize to Vijayabaskar.

Jallikattu stadium at Rs 3 crore

Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told the media that a Jallikattu arena would be constructed at Periya Suriyur at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore, and the works would commence in a month.

The GO has already been released, and the fund has also been sanctioned, he added.