The jallikattu season got under way on Monday, with the first officially permitted event being held at Thachankurichi village in Gandarvakottai taluk. As many as 13 people were injured during the event, which lasted nearly five hours.
The event, held amid elaborate security arrangements, was inaugurated by Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar in the presence of Collector K. Ganesh and other officials.
Sources in the police and revenue departments said that as many as 454 bulls were released from the vaadivaasal during the event, which drew a large turnout.
Screening of tamers
Medical teams at the venue conducted check-ups on bull tamers intending to take part in the event.
After the screening process, 279 tamers were allowed to participate in the event. Aspiring tamers were rejected on various medical grounds, including high blood pressure. Only those found fit were provided with T-shirts to take part, a senior Health Department official said.
A couple of ‘108’ ambulances and another belonging to the Health Department were deployed at the venue to take the injured to the nearby hospital for treatment, if required.
Bulls, brought in from various districts, were screened by a team of veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry Department.
Referred to hospital
The event came to an end around 1 p.m. Four of the injured were referred to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital. Nine other injured persons were treated on the spot by the medical teams, sources said.
The State government, through an order issued recently, accorded permission to organise jallikattu at Thachankurichi and five other places — Vadamalpur, Keelapanaiyur, Viralimalai, Vanniyanvidhuthi and Mangathevanpatti — on different dates this month.
