PUDUKKOTTAI: The jallikattu held as part of the annual festival of Vinnerpu Annai Alayam church at Thatchankurichi in the district on Saturday kicked off the season for the bull-taming event in the state. A total of 63 people that included 31 spectators sustained injuries in the event, of which 10 were hospitalised with severe injuries.
The registered bulls, which numbered to 712 as per the animal husbandry department, began their arrival at the venue on Gandharvakkottai-Tiruchy Road since the early hours. Of them, 565 were screened and 559 permitted to enter the vaadivaasal.
A total of 276 players were allowed to tame them while about 2,400 converged to witness the event. The event kick-started with Minister for Law S Regupathy reading out the oath to maintain harmony and uphold safety measures to participants. Minister for Environment Siva V Meyyanathan was present on the dais. The two then showed off the two bikes that awaited the best tamer and the bull rearer of the day.
Tamil Selvan of Kaikurichi in the district whose bull ‘Samy’ gave a tough time to tamers was adjudged the bull rearer of the day, while Sugenth of Rayamundanpatti in Thanjavur earned the fame of best bull tamer for taming 12 bulls.Transpersons Aishwarya and Priyanka from Theni and Tiruchy respectively also brought their bulls for participation.
In a significant move, the commentators didn’t succumb to pressure from rearers and avoided announcing their caste when their bulls were released into the vaadivaasal. Meanwhile, 63 people sustained injuries, of which 10 bull tamers were referred to Government Thanjavur Medical College Hospital with severe injuries. The remaining 22 bull tamers and 31 spectators were treated on the spot by a government medical team.
Tension prevailed briefly when all the registered bulls could not be allowed into the arena as the event was running beyond the stipulated time of 1 pm. A section of the bull owners soon got into a quarrel with the organisers and released their bulls into the open, triggering panic, revenue department sources said. The police, however, soon brought the situation under control.