PUDUKKOTTAI: Too much of anything is bad, the adage goes. That apparently holds true for idlis as well.It started off as a fun event but soon turned into tragedy. A man, participating in an idli-eating competition in Pandikudi village near Alangudi, Pudukkottai, died after choking on his 12th idli.
S Chinnathambi, a cook by profession, passed away on Tuesday evening during an event organised as part of the Kaanum Pongal celebrations.
It is a common practice in villages to conduct such amateur sporting events on Kaanum Pongal. The Bharathiyar Youth Association in Pandikudi came up with the idea of an idli-eating competition after their bitter gourd and green chilly-eating competitions failed to find takers. Participants had to eat as many idlis as they could in three minutes without consuming water in between.
Chinnathambi (42), a resident of the village, enthusiastically participated, cheered on by a sizeable crowd. But everyone went quiet when Chinnathambi collapsed. “Though the ambulance arrived soon, he had died by then,” said G Venkateshan of Keeramangalam, who witnessed the incident. There was no winner as the contest was called off. The victim is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.