TIRUCHY: Fierce bulls raging through vadivasal, anxious tamers awaiting their turns, applauding onlookers and attentive officials marked the return of jallikkattu in Karungulam village on Sunday, after two years.
A calm hill-side village situated about 57 km southwest of the district headquarters, Karungulam saw at least 20,000 people – from Dindigul, Ariyalur, Sivaganga and Madurai – thronging the centuries-old Saint Ignatius Church, and the streets used for the bull-run.
Organised by a committee comprising village heads, the first 50 metres of the arena from vadivasal was floored with coconut coir to prevent the tamers from getting injured.
Collector K S Palanisamy acted as referee by standing atop the 10-foot platform to ensure the safety protocols mentioned in the Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Regulation Act, 2009, were adhered to.
Twenty of the total 342 bull-tamers were spotted holding on to the bulls’ neck instead of the hump and were disqualified.
Despite safety measures supervised by about 500 cops, 37 tamers sustained injuries.
While a couple of youth, were hurt in the stomach, no major injuries were reported, said Dr S Rajendran, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry.