Huge sponsorship for the famed jallikattu on Friday, which was conducted after two years of ban and days of intense State-wide protests in January, meant that participating bulls and tamers walked away with loads of goodies.
The gifts ranged from a car and four Royal Enfield bullet motorcycles to utensils and plastic chairs. There were also gold coins weighing a few grams to one sovereign. Members of the organising committee said that every participating bull and those who tamed the animals received at least around ₹10,000-worth gifts.
“We did not have to persuade anyone to sponsor gifts. Since there was huge expectation around the event this year, sponsorships just poured,” said J. Sundarrajan, a member of the Alanganallur jallikattu organising committee.
Novel gift
The list of gifts also included, for the first time, two cows of native breed sponsored by Pon. Kumar, a young entrepreneur from the village who took active participation in the protests for jallikattu.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Pon. Kumar said that gifting of native breed of cows was only logical since the crucial reason for defending jallikattu was to protect the native breeds of cattle. “This is what pushed many people to actively participate in the protest and that is why I chose to gift cows instead of other material gifts. I want this trend to be picked up by others,” he said, adding that the milk provided by these cows would be more nutritious than that of imported breeds.
One of the cows sponsored by Mr. Kumar was gifted to R. Vimalraj from Pannaikudi village, who tamed 13 bulls and was declared the best player by the district administration.
Another cow was gifted to Senthil Thondaman, a Minister from Uva province in Sri Lanka and a jallikattu enthusiast, whose bull was adjudged the best bull of the day. Mr. Thondaman’s bull also won a car sponsored by a popular retail outlet for the best bull.
Two Royal Enfield motorcycles were presented — one each to Mr. Vimalraj and Manikanda Prabhu of Goripalayam in Madurai, who was declared the second best.
Two women, who released their bulls in the jallikattu arena, also received gold coins and a range of other gifts amid loud cheers from the crowd. Despite the rain of gifts, some of the locals were seen complaining that a truck-load of gifts were left unused.
