The ban on holding traditional and rural events such as ‘Jallikattu’ (taming of bulls), ‘Eruthattam’ (bull chase), ‘rekla race’ (horse cart race) etc did not dampen the spirit of the people in celebrating ‘Mattu Pongal’ with religious fervour.
People of the rural areas thanked the cattle, particularly cows and bulls, which play a vital role in the agricultural activities, on this day by decorating them and conducting poojas to them. The cattle were given a well deserved rest and pride of place.
The cattle were washed and their horns were painted in eye-catching colours. Multi-coloured beads, tinkling bells, flowers garlands and sheaves of corn were tied around their necks. They were fed with specially prepared sweet rice and taken in procession to the village centres. The villages wore a festive look across.
In villages like Koolamedu, where ‘Jallikattu’ used to be a part of the Pongal festival for many decades, Mattu Pongal was celebrated in a subdued note, thanks to the ban slapped by Supreme Court on holding this event.
Mattu Pongal used to be the major festival of Koolamedu for years together and it drew huge crowds from different parts of the district. A special committee formed to organise the event was waiting patiently that permission will come through at any time. In the absence of permission, the villagers could not celebrate Mattu Pongal with the same enthusiasm, says A. Kandasamy, president of the Jallikattu Organising Committee. The authorities, who banned the holding of ‘Eruthattam’, held meetings with the local people.
The official machinery and the police had a close watch of the villages. ‘Vangaa Nari Jallikattu’ was another event organised in some parts of the district such as Vazhappadi, Gopalapuram, Bettanayakkanpalayam etc bordering Kalrayan hills. It is an event organised in the presence of a wolf and the authorities had slapped a ban on it too for the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, the Uzhavar Sandhais and other major markets continued to attract a large number of consumers for the third consecutive day on Friday.
