MADURAI: A grand jallikattu competition will open the all new Kalaignar Nootrandu Earuthaluvuthal Arangam, which is set to be unveiled by Chief Minister MK Stalin on January 24. The new jallikattu arena, with a capacity of 50,000 people, boasts of two museums and a library, both of which will put Tamil culture on grand display.
CM Stalin had inaugurated construction works on the arena on March 18, 2023. Constructed in an area of 77,683 sq.feet at an estimated cost of `64 crore, the arena is a work of elegance carved under the supervision of PWD chief engineers. As many as 3,669 tamers and 9,312 bulls have registered for the event. On District Collector MS Sangeetha's instructions, registrations for both tamers were open till Sunday and done online.
Speaking to TNIE, an official on condition of anonymity said that both museums set up inside the arangam are 7,500 sq.feet each. "One museum has on display a collection of over 100 paintings and photographs. Each painting, including rock paintings found from various places across the state, describes the traditional sport of jallikattu, and how it came to be associated with ancient Tamil people. If anyone wants to know about nexus between jallikattu and Tamil culture, this museum is their place," he said.
The other museum is full of sculptures recovered from various places. These include sculptures of bull taming, valour of ancient tamers, and country bulls, which vividly describe 1,000 years of culture. "The library is also unique since t comes packed up a collection of 500 rare books," he added. Apart from the rare collection of palm leaf manuscript describe about traditional medicine for bulls placed. Anyone would like to do research about jallikattu and its traditions definitely they will get all types of information in this library," he added.
The arangam, the official highlighted, comes with a spacious hall for tamers and bulls, a rest room for bull owners, and medical centres for bulls and tamers. The collection point equipped with necessary facilities, can accommodate over 2,000 bulls. An overhead tank with a capacity of 50,000 litres, an underground water tank, and a temporary departmental store are additional facilities.