If you are travelling between Mangaluru and Moodbidri on National Highway 169, you might miss these five giant bulls, unless you are paying close attention.
Belonging to the well-known Kankrej breed of Rann of Kutch or Rajasthan, the bulls — which remain tied to poles on roadside near Kudupu Katte — are of indigenous origin and now are part of International Society for Krishna Consciousness’ (ISKCON) [of Sri Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada] all-India padayatra.
According to Smitha Krishna Dasa, vice-president of ISKCON-Sri Jagannath Mandir-Kudupu, the padayatra spreads the message of simple living and high thinking through the means of discourses on the Bhagavad Gita.
The yatra travels 10-12 km a day and discourses are conducted in the evening. It entered Mangaluru sometime in the end of September and will proceed further towards Udupi on November 8. The first of the padayatras was held in 1984, he said.
The bulls have names — Nanda Kishore, Jay, Kaliya, Narasimha, who is the eldest one at 12 years, and Krishna, the youngest one at four. People venture near the bulls, pat them and get themselves photographed with them. Each bull weighs about 700 kg.
The bulls, though giant and scary, have become the centre of attraction for many passers-by. Aravind, who was seen taking selfies on the way, said the bulls love to be cuddled and cajoled. If they get irritated by the presence of too many people, they just nod their heads furiously. They do not harm anyone, he said.
The caretaker said the bulls are tied in the open during the day so that they get enough sunlight and are kept inside the building at night.
