The State government has given permission to conduct jallikattu at Thatchankurichi village in Gandarvakottai taluk in Pudukottai district on Bhogi on January 13.
An order has been issued by the Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department to hold the bull-taming event at Thatchankurichi subject to adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures for prevention of COVID-19 spread. The jallikattu will be the first officially permitted event in Pudukottai district as part of Pongal festivities.
Official sources told The Hindu on Tuesday that organisers were making arrangements for the upcoming event at Thatchankurichi. Double barricades had been erected along the arena to prevent entry of spectators. The organisers had also erected a separate stage for VIPs to watch the event.
Revenue authorities had inspected the venue and planned to conduct another round of checks on Wednesday ahead of the event. Nearly 75% of the arrangements had been made at the venue, which would also have a separate checking point to screen the participating bulls and a collection point where the animals finally reached after being released from the vaadivaasa l for the owners/handlers to pick up their animals.
The event would be conducted as per the Standard Operating Procedure laid down by the State government, said a revenue official in Pudukottai.
Identity cards would be given to the bull owner and handler to gain entry into the venue. Anti-doping tests would be conducted on the bulls by officials of the Animal Husbandry department. Not more than 300 tamers would be allowed to take partin the event. Double vaccination certificate and COVID-19 negative report from the RT-PCR test conducted 48 hours before the event would be checked before allowing officials, organisers, bull owners and tamers at the venue, the official further said.
Tiruchi event
Meanwhile, arrangements are under way at Periya Suriyur village on the outskirts of Tiruchi city to conduct jallikattu as part of Pongal festival. As is the customary practice, the organisers have planned to conduct the event on the second day of the Tamil month Thai on January 15, which is celebrated as Maatu Pongal.
A jallikattu organising committee has been constituted at Periya Suriyur to conduct the event, which is to be held in a sprawling open area situated on the northern side of the village.
An organising committee member said arrangements at the venue, including double barricading along the arena and erecting a stage for important people to watch the event and vaadivasa l from where the participating bulls were to be released one after the other during the course of the event, had been made.
The venue would have a separate checking point where the participating bulls would be screened by a veterinary team. Health officials would screen all tamers before they were allowed to participate.
Official sources said a senior revenue official had inspected the venue at Periya Suriyur and submitted a report to the District Collector.
