SALEM: Excitement was palpable in Kuttapatti, a village near Mettur, where youth shed nonchalance and the old defied age to witness a tradition revived three years after it was abandoned. The spectacle for which they congregated at the Sakthi Mariamman Temple on Monday was worth their while, for it’s not everyday you get to watch a fox jallikattu. Crazy as it might sound, but these villagers have found an unlikely herald of auspicious news in the bushy-tailed wily creature of lore.
The build-up to the event was a spectacle in itself, with both old and young entering the wild to hunt a fox and bring it to the village unharmed. After hours of struggle, during which the cunning fox gave its pursuers a run for their money, the wily old fox was finally netted. On Monday, he was the cynosure of all eyes.
Even as the residents jumped about in joy, the garlanded fox looked around as if trying to figure out what the fuss was all about. Soon he was let on to the ground, with the villagers forming an impregnable cordon to keep the animal from escaping. The “jallikattu” had begun. Nobody tried to catch the animal as the entire focus was on keeping the fox confined to the temple premises till the prayers for good rains, bountiful crops and general prosperity were offered.
After worshipping the animal in the temple, the elders brought it outside, where the real celebration had begun.
Amidst the loud cheers from the crowd, youth shook their leg to the beats of the traditional drummers. Even as the sounds of revelry filled the temple, the fox watched in silence, cuddled up in the arms of an elder. “The residents here believe that even catching a glimpse of a fox is auspicious and will bring good luck. Moreover, we believe that worshipping the fox will bring rains,” said Karuppusamy, a village elder.