A night at the Marina: Chennai's favourite hangout comes alive over Jallikattu protests
Take a look at the night life of the Jallikattu protestors gathered on the Marina Beach as the Chennai landmark became the epicentre of protests against the ban on the bull-taming sport that have erupted across Tamil Nadu. Thousands of youngsters have been camped out on the sands of the mighty beach overnight for days since Tuesday to register their support for the popular cultural sport.
Raging bull: Makeshift horns on a red Renault Pulse car cruising through the main road along Marina beach send out a message in support of Jallikattu. Protestors demanding that the ban on the traditional bull-taming sport of Tamil Nadu be revoked have been camped out on the sands of the Marina Beach in Chennai for five days since Tuesday. The crowds have swelled and the peaceful protests have taken on colourful forms. (Shiba Prasad Sahu | EPS)
Protestors sit around a bonfire to protect themselves from the cold winter air at Marina Beach. Most of them have been staying overnight on the beach sands over the past few days to ensure continued support for the demonstration against the ban of Jallikattu, a traditional bull taming sport of Tamil Nadu. Chennai’s Marina Beach became the epicentre of statewide protests on Tuesday, with thousands of youngsters stomping about in the sands all day and night for the next five days. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Supporters of the demand for revoking the ban on Jallikattu make do with polythene sheets for bedding as they catch a few winks between their agitation at the Marina. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Youngsters taking part in the Jallikattu protests on the Marina sleep on the sands around a bonfire they built to protect themselves from the cold night. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Another group of protestors warm themselves around a bonfire on Marina Beach, while catching a break from the continuous sloganeering. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
A pre-teen girl displays her fervent support for the cause her elders espouse, as she sits atop a car on the beach road.(Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
A team of medical staff in an ambulance stands by to help out those among the protestors at Marina Beach who may require medical attention, if the need arises. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
A volunteer helps regulate traffic along the service lanes of Marina Beach, as he displays a message on his smartphone, requesting people to drive slowly. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Volunteers distribute food packets among the many protestors gathered together at Marina Beach. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
One of the many volunteers who support the Jallikattu protest clean the paths along the beach as large volumes of litter accumulates during the day because a sea of humanity has been eating, sleeping and occupying the Marina's sands for the past few days. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
A beach-side food stall serves bajjis fresh off the frying pan to the many hungry protestors at the Marina Beach. A common fixture on the beach sands all year, the popular bajji-sellers found thousands more customers during the Jallikattu protests than the usual sleepy beach day any other time of year (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Even while asleep on the sands of the Marina, this protestor ensures his colourful poster supporting Jallikattu is prominently displayed.(Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Amid the slogans and speeches supporting Jallikattu on the Marina, the crowd were also kept entertained by a variety of performances, including diverse ones such as this band playing rock music and street theatre artists staging a perfomance on the sands.(Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
The crowds gathered on the sands witness a performance of 'Parai' traditional folk music as part of the Jallikattu protests at Marina Beach. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
This protestor stood in one place for more than 14 hours, next to a traffic post at the Marina to express his support of Jallikattu, and to demand that the ban on the bull-taming sport be revoked. (Shiba Prasad Sahu |EPS)
Stubborn as a Taurus, this youngster wearing a mask shaped like a bull's head, stands atop the railing separating the side-walk adjacent to Marina Beach from the road, as he displays his poster in support of Jallikattu. (Shiba Prasad Sahu | EPS)
