Periya Suriyur gearing up for mega jallikattu event

TIRUCHY: Periya Suriyur in Tiruchy is gearing up for the mega jallikattu event of the central region scheduled on Mattu Pongal Day (January 16). The preparatory works for the event commences on Tuesday and the Collector inspected the ongoing works.

According to the organisers, the villagers believe that the jallikattu event is a ritual that also will ward off the evils and protect their village from any harm. “This is more than a sport for us. If we do not organise the annual event, we will become the victims of our village deity Karuppanaswamy’s curse and then we will face severe problems,” claims R Murugesan one of the organisers of Suriyur jallikattu.

Suriyur, which has around 2,000 people, once possessed more than 500 bulls of various varieties. Since the nod for conducting the jallikattu, the residents show much interest in rearing a jallikattu bull. “It is our pride and prestige to own a sturdy jallikattu bull,” Murugesan said.

In order to give no rooms for violations, the organisers have planned to erect the gallery and the arena as per the court directive. The registration for the event has commenced and the organisers expect at least 600 bulls and 500 tamers to participate in the event. As per the COVID protocol, each tamer is advised to undergo RT-PCR test.

On Tuesday, Tiruchy Collector M Pradeep Kumar visited the spot and inspected the ongoing preparatory works. He instructed the organisers not to compromise in terms of safety arrangements.