The village Siravayal will host one of the biggest manjuvirattu and jallikattu events in the district on Friday and preparations are on, say revenue officials who inspected the site on Thursday.
Dubbed as one of the most ferocious bull taming events during Pongal, Siravayal is also well known for bull tamers getting injured and even killed in the sport.
“This year, we expect that over 300 bulls will take part in the event. Last year, 185 bulls took part. There will be about 170 tamers and all of them will undergo a medical fitness test before being let into the gallery,” said C. Sankara Narayanan, Revenue Divisional Officer, Devakottai.
“To ensure safety of bulls and tamers, we have spread coconut coir for about 200 metres from the ‘vadivasal.’ The collection point for bulls has been cordoned off from the main arena so that bulls do not return. A dry tank bed has been converted into a collection point to make it easy for bull tamers to collect their bulls without any hassle,” he added.
The event will take place in a 25-acre ground where bulls would be let loose. Siravayal bull taming sport is considered dangerous as it is another format of jallikattu, known as manjuvirattu. It has been reported in the past that bulls run amok into spectators goring people to death.
About 700 police personnel have been deployed for security duty to maintain order and avoid any mishap. Apart from barricades, fencing has been put in place to separate the arena from the spectators’ gallery.
“We have arranged four water tanker trucks apart from a permanent water tank for visitors. It is expected that 25,000 people will turn up to watch the event for whom proper toilet facilities have been provided. Two ambulances will be stationed and there will be two teams of medical experts to treat the injured. Vehicles and personnel of Fire and Rescue Services Department will be stationed,” said M. Jayalakshmi, Tahsildar of Tirupattur.
Two makeshift galleries have been erected to accommodate spectators apart from a separate gallery for media and VIPs.
The other famous jallikattu of Sivaganga district at Kandupatti has been scheduled for Sunday.
