MADURAI: Jallikattu was inaugurated on Thursday as part of the annual Pongal celebrations, with the first leg of the traditional bull-taming sport being held at Avaniyapuram in Madurai district. Over a thousand bulls and hundreds of tamers are taking part in the event.
State Minister P Moorthy inaugurated the event by flagging off at Avaniyapuram at 7.30 am in the presence of Madurai district collector KJ Praveen Kumar and others. The event will go on till evening.
The Avaniyapuram Jallikattu is being conducted on the Avaniyapuram–Thiruparankundram Road, where infrastructure works worth Rs 67 lakh were taken up by the Madurai district administration and the Madurai Corporation. Bulls and bull tamers were registered online, and tokens were issued digitally.
For the Avaniyapuram event, more than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed in and around the area to maintain order.
An LED screen has been installed to display live scorecards, including the number of bulls released and tamers participating in each round. Drinking water facilities and temporary toilets have been arranged for spectators.
Two-tier barricades with eight-foot-high casuarina poles, iron railings and wire fencing have been erected along both sides of the road. The vaadivasal, spectators’ gallery, prize display area and the main dais have been set up.
A tractor has been announced as the first prize for the best bull, while a car will be awarded to the best bull tamer. Both prizes have been placed on display at the venue.
The Animal Husbandry Department has deployed 10 teams to inspect bulls. Medical arrangements include a 240-member team comprising doctors, nurses and paramedical staff.
A total of 12 ambulances, two bike ambulances and Red Cross personnel have been kept on standby.
Traffic on the Avaniyapuram–Thiruparankundram Road has been diverted via Vellakkal, with vehicles being rerouted through alternative roads towards Thiruparankundram and Muthupatti.
As per the schedule, Avaniyapuram is hosting the event on January 15, followed by Palamedu on January 16 and Alanganallur on January 17, officials said.