MADURAI: As the dust settled after hours of intense bull-taming at Palamedu arena, it was not strength or speed but a simple draw of lots that finally decided the winner on Friday. ‘Pothunkampatti’ Ajith and ‘Pothumbu’ Prabhakaran secured the top spots by taming 16 bulls each. With no clear winner, organisers conducted a draw of lots to break the tie, in which Ajith was declared the winner and awarded a car.
Prabhakaran settled for second place and received a two-wheeler. The third position went to Karthik from Namakkal, who tamed 11 bulls. In the best bull category, the animal owned by Sridhar of Kulamangalam was adjudged the winner and the owner was presented with a tractor.
A total of 881 bulls from across Tamil Nadu took part in the event, with the majority hailing from Madurai, Dindigul, Theni, Tiruchy and Pudukkottai districts. Several owners travelled long distances to participate. Sathish Kumar from Tiruvannamalai, for instance, brought his seven-year-old native breed bull, Karnan, spending around Rs 10,000 on transportation alone.
Officials said 37 persons — including 11 bull tamers, 13 bull owners and 13 spectators — sustained injuries during the event. Two bulls also suffered injuries. Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister P Moorthy, Madurai Collector KJ Praveen Kumar, and actors Soori, Jeeva, Arun Pandian and Ashok Selvan were among those present at the venue. Around 400 tamers participated.
Two dozen galleries were set up to accommodate spectators, while more than 2,200 police personnel were deployed for security. Two-tier safety arrangements, including iron fencing, were put in place around the vadivasal and adjoining areas.
Event delayed by 2 hours
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the jallikattu at 9.35 am, more than two hours after the scheduled time. DMK sources said the delay was due to the deputy CM being stopped at several points, as party cadre had gathered to greet him during his over 20-km journey to Palamedu. AIADMK leader RB Udhayakumar criticised the delay. In a statement, he said questions were raised over whether the event was being organised for Udhayanidhi Stalin or Chief Minister MK Stalin.