Kalaignar Arena gears up to host 2-day jallikattu near Alanganallur

MADURAI: Kalaignar Centenary Aeruthazhuvuthal Arena at Keelakarai near Alanganallur in Madurai district, is all set to host the second annual bull taming (jallikattu) sport at the arena on Tuesday.

Scores of bulls and tamers are eager to exhibit their talents at this two-day event, which spills into the next day (Wednesday) also.

Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy, will flag off the event, which is scheduled to commence at 7 am, at the arena, sources said.

Ahead of the schedule, Madurai Collector MS Sangeetha along with officials from various departments inspected the arena on Monday for the smooth conduct of jallikattu. Around a thousand bulls are expected to participate.

Further, sources said before the scheduled jallikattu at Alanganallur in January this year, many local bull rearers were dejected and frustrated as they had lost opportunities to participate in the event after their rejection online.

Therefore, the Minister is said to have taken the initiative of providing those dejected, a fresh opportunity to prove their merit.

Hence, participants for the jallikattu event, be it bulls or tamers, were restricted to Madurai East constituency, sources said.

M Subbaiyan, Regional Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, Madurai, when contacted, said seven teams comprising veterinary doctors, veterinary assistants and livestock inspectors have been formed to screen bulls ahead of their participation in the stadium.

Two mobile ambulance vans are also in place. The teams would examine the health of the bulls to determine their fitness level.

The veterinary doctors would check the bulls for any injuries and any animal should be free of injuries. More importantly, a bull's horn should be blunt.

Further, the joint director said no oil should be applied on bull horns. The veterinarians would also evaluate its teeth to determine age.

Moreover, he said prior to participation, bulls would be tested for any alcohol content. Saliva samples would be collected from the bulls for testing and if it’s tested positive for alcohol, then such particular bulls would not be allowed to participate.