KARUR/NAMAKKA: With the Supreme Court ban on jallikattu and other animal sports putting a dampener on the Pongal festivities this year, people in some parts of Tamil Nadu have come up alternatives to keep the spirit of the festival alive. While the youth in Karur chose to display their machismo on the track with improvised mopeds on Friday, the women in Namakkal district organised a ‘rooster catching’ competition.
Disappointed over the ban on jallikattu, the youth in Karur chose modernity over tradition and organised the modified moped race. Conducted by the youth wing of the district DMK at Palamapuram, modified versions of mopeds screamed through the streets, with hundreds from Namakkal and Tiruchy districts participating. The seven kilometre race started from Palamapuram and the racers had to collect tokens from Nerur and Vangal before reaching the finishing point.
In the well-attended contest on Nandavanamettu Street in Namakkal, blindfolded women moved in circles trying to catch roosters. While one end of the rope was tied to the legs of the rooster and the other to the catcher, a rule barring contestants from pulling at the string did not help the matters.
“Men use jallikattu to showcase their talents, but this sports is exclusively for women,” said Navarathna, a contestant.