DINDIGUL/SIVAGANGA
A total of 82 persons were injured in the Siravayal Manjuvirattu held near Tirupattur in Sivaganga district on Friday. Official sources said that a majority of the injured were spectators. Thirteen of them have been admitted as in-patients to Tirupattur Government Hospital and nine persons have been admitted to Sivaganga GH, while a spectator identified as Sornalingam, 50, of Devakottai, has been admitted to Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital. He suffered a deep puncture on the chest.
Punctures below the neck and on the thigh were reported in the parallel event of manjuvirattu held inside a dry tank bed where about 1,200 bulls were let loose. The animals ran amok through the crowd, attacking people.
In the ‘vadivasal’ jallikattu that was held in a ground, a total of 124 bulls from Tiruchi, Madurai, Pudukottai and Sivaganga districts were released after the ceremonial release of the temple bull. A total of 80 bull tamers took part and won prizes such as utensils, household articles and silver coins.
The event was witnessed by Sivaganga MP Karthi Chidambaram and Tirupattur MLA Periyakaruppan and organised under the purview of the DRO. A fleet of 10 ambulances were stationed to rescue the injured and three medical teams attended to them.
35 injured in Dindigul
In the two jallikattu events held at Periyakalayamputhur near Palani and Nathamadipatti near Sanarpatti in Dindigul district, a total of 35 persons were reported injured. In the century-old jallikattu at Palani, over 300 bulls from Madurai, Udumalpet, Kangeyam, Dharapuram, Theni, Kovilpatti and Oddanchatram, participated. The event was inaugurated by Palani MLA I.P. Senthil Kumar and Sub-Collector S. Uma.
Over 200 policemen were deployed in security duty. Bull tamers were given prizes such as silver articles, gold coins and furniture.
The police said that 15 persons were injured in the jallikattu and were treated by medical teams. One person identified as Anbusiva, 25, of Virattipathu was referred to the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital.
In the jallikattu held at Nathamadipatti, a total of 450 bulls were released through the vadivasal and 300 bull tamers took part in the sport. A total of 20 persons, including a few spectators, were injured. Five persons were referred to the Dindigul GH, including a woman identified as Lourdu of Kosavapatti.
