MADURAI: Nearly 1,100 bulls and about 600 tamers are participating in the Palamedu jallikattu in Madurai district on Friday, marking the second major bull-taming event of the season in the region.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the event on Friday morning. Palamedu follows the opening jallikattu held at Avaniyapuram and precedes the final event scheduled at Alanganallur on Saturday.
Officials said nearly 1,100 bulls and 600 tamers registered online to take part in the Palamedu event. Winners, both among tamers and bulls, will receive prizes including a car, a bike and other rewards.
The event was attended by Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister P Moorthy, Madurai District Collector KJ Praveen Kumar, actor Soori and other senior officials.
Security arrangements include over 2,200 police personnel, while two dozen galleries have been set up to accommodate spectators. A large LED screen has been installed to display live scorecards, details of bulls and information about tamers for each round.
Facilities such as drinking water and temporary toilets have been arranged at the venue. A medical team comprising doctors, nurses and paramedical staff has been stationed nearby to handle injuries, supported by 12 EMRI ambulances, two bike ambulances and volunteers from the Red Cross Society of Madurai.
A separate team of veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry Department is conducting inspections of bulls at the Vadivasal entrance.
As per the Madurai jallikattu schedule, Avaniyapuram hosted the first event, followed by Palamedu on January 16. The concluding jallikattu at Alanganallur on January 17 will be inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin.