JALLI KATTU- MY TAMILIAN'S TRADITION. A Documentry Blog. By, Shiva Manikkam

JALLI KATTU
MY TAMILIAN'S TRADITION

>>> Documentary Blog

SHIVA MANIKKAM
Civil Engineering Student
Bangalore.


'''Jallikattu''' - ஜல்லிகட்டு  is a cattle/ bulltaming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebration. This is one of the oldest living ancient sports seen in the modern era.

                             It is held in the villages of Tamil Nadu as a part of the village festival. The festivals are held from January to July, every year. 

The one held in Alanganallur, near Madurai, is one of the more popular events. This sport is also known as "Manju Virattu", meaning "chasing the bull".

SCIENCE OF JALLIKATTU??

                 Jallikattu is based on the simple concept of "flight or fight". Cattle being herd and prey animals in general tend to run away from unwanted situations. 

     But there are quite noteworthy exceptions.

                                  Cape buffalos are famous for standing up against lions and killing them. 

    The Indian Gaur bull is known for standing its ground against predators and tigers think twice about attacking a full grown Gaur bull. 

Aurochs, the ancestor of domestic cattle was known for its pugnacious nature. Jallikattu bulls belong to a few specific breeds of cattle that descended from the kangayam breed of cattle and these cattle are very pugnacious by nature.

 These cattle are reared in huge herds numbering in hundreds with a few cowherds tending to them. These cattle are for all practical comparisons, wild and only the cowherds can mingle with them without any fear of being attacked. 

It is from these herds that calves with good characteristics and body conformation are selected and reared to become jallikattu bulls. 

These bulls attack not because they are irritated or agitated or frightened, but because that is their basic nature.

                                      Training of jallikattu bulls

       

The calves that are chosen to become jallikattu bulls are fed a nutritious diet so that they develop into strong, sturdy beasts.

 The bulls are made to swim for exercise. The calves, once they reach adolescence are taken to small jallikattu events to familiarize them with the atmosphere. 

Specific training is given to vadam manju virattu bulls to understand the restraints of the rope.

 Apart from this, no other training is provided to jallikattu bulls. Once the bulls are released, then instinct takes over

OMG!!! Jallikattu is Banned!!!

But in 2014 the sport was outlawed by the Supreme Court following objections from animal rights activists who say it is cruel. The court upheld the ban in January.

The state that loves bullfighting but isn't Spain

Only native breeds are used in Jallikattu.

"In Tamil Nadu we used to have six native breeds. One breed called Alambadi has been officially declared extinct," says bull fighting supporter Balakumaran Somu. "This ban is going to kill other breeds as well."

Breeders say Jallikattu and bullock cart racing gave the region a healthy male-to-female ratio of native cattle.

"Jallikattu inspired people to hold onto their bulls. Farmers provided extra care for the animal since the bull represents the pride of their family and community. If the ban continues there will be no incentive to hold on to the bulls," says Karthikeyan Siva Senaapathy. He is among the few breeders of pure Kangayam cattle.

The Kangayam breed is native to western Tamil Nadu and used extensively in Jallikattu.

"We had over one million Kangayam bulls in 1990. The population has fallen to 15,000 now."

Tamil Nadu is the most urbanised state in India, with a well-established manufacturing and services sector. Due to the mechanisation of agriculture and transport, the economic rationale for owning a bull has declined.

Dairy farmers, too, are turning their back on native cattle and prefer high-yielding buffaloes and cross breeds. Most of the small dairy farmers own only cows and buy in the services of Jallikattu bulls.

"Among the young calves only the best is selected for Jallikattu. Others are castrated and used to plough farmland. This ensures only the best genes get passed on," Mr Senaapathy says.

"We used to have a cow-to-bull ratio of 4:1. But now it has gone to 8:1 and it is going to slip further due to this ban. Farmers can't afford to have big bulls as pets."

"These bulls are not protected under any law. So, we couldn't stop them from being sold for slaughter. The only option to save these animals was to buy them," says S Nizamudeen, founder of Coimbatore Cattle Care.

He is planning to offer his bulls for stud services.

"None of the bulls I bought had any major injury or signs of torture. Many farmers are selling the bull because of the uncertainty." He favours the resumption of Jallikattu under strict guidelines.

P Rajasekaran, president of the Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Federation, agrees.

"If any individual is caught doing harm to a bull, catch him and prosecute him. We have no objection to it. But don't have a blanket ban."

Most of the bulls used in Jallikattu are owned by village temples - in other words by the community. These bulls can't be sold but the fear is they may not be replaced.

But animal rights activists argue the decline of native cattle began even before the ban, due to economic factors.

"Our primary concern is the welfare of the animals not the survival of the species," says Dr S Chinny Krishna, vice chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India. It functions under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the prime mover behind the ban."Bulls were domesticated thousands of years ago. They don't see humans as enemies."

He says large numbers of bulls are already being rescued and sheltered by various animal rights groups and they are ready to do more to rehabilitate them and to help breeding programmes.

But Jallikattu supporters question why there is no action against horse racing or the conditions of temple elephants.

Meanwhile, the fate of native breeds remains uncertain.

No political party in Tamil Nadu favours a complete ban on the sport - so organisers hope to find a solution through political initiatives rather than a legal reprieve before next season.

HIP HOP THAMIZHA AADHI took initiative to spread awareness about the Real Jallikattu and he came forwar through a Shot Film TAKKARU TAKKARU.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                









Dont forget to Watch Takkaru Takkaru Full Short Film..Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no8-RcTP2rs

TO THE PEAK,,, I NEED TO SAVE MY JALLIKATTU....

In Spain Bull fight is very usual stuff, Bulls are killed day by day just like that.......but they do bull fight as their TRADITIONS.....

 but why the hell we Can't...
There is a rule in Jallikattu , if any bull gets a drop of Blood, Whole Jallikattu should be stopped right over there..This is Our TAMIL Tradition, We are not Predataors here to hurt own pets.

#WeDoJallikattu