SIVAGANGA: Ten years have passed since the death of Sivalpatti's own Karuppu, the temple bull that made the nondescript village proud by bringing laurels in many Manju Virattu and Jallikattu events. But the days and years that went by failed to erase the 'bullish memories' from the minds of the villagers, ultimately earning him the status of a deity.
No villager in Sivalpatti could speak about the last Manju Virattu event of the bull, held in the month of Thai in 2012 in Kandupatti village, without tears rolling down the cheeks. In memory of the bull, they installed his statue and started worshipping it.
Speaking to TNIE, N Armugam, a villager, said the bull was like a blue-eyed boy to each and everyone in the hamlet. "It had never failed in a Manju Virattu or Jallikattu," he said.
K Kumar, another resident, said the bull was named after the temple deity and the villagers used to call the bull Karuppanasamy or Karuppu. "For eight years, it had participated in several Manju Virattu events in the district, and not even a single tamer had the courage even to touch it," he added.
A village elder, Sevalai Muniyandi, said they organised a committee after the bull died and raised funds to install his life-size statue in the centre of the village. "Now he has become a Kula Deivam (family deity) for everyone. On his remembrance day in Thai month, all the villagers gather in front of the deity and offer pooja," he added.