THENI: All guidelines issued by the government for conducting jallikattu should be strictly followed, and the event should be videographed, said Collector N. Venkatachalam.
Addressing a special meeting with village heads and committee members on jallikattu here on Wednesday, he said permission had been granted for Pallavarayanpatti and Iyyampatti villages in Uthamapalyam block to conduct jallikattu on February 19 and February 12 respectively.
The event should be held between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Bulls should be allowed to enter the ‘vaadi vasal’ only after a medical test. Bull tamers too should undergo a medical test before taking part in the event, he stressed.
Mr. Venkatachalam said three committees to monitor bulls before they entered the vaadi vassal, to monitor players and to supervise the overall happenings should be formed in each village. Double-barricade should be erected on both sides of the 100-metre-long path earmarked for the bulls to run. The players should hold only the hump of the bulls, he advised.
Jallikattu organisers said 400 bulls were expected to participate in the event at Pallavarayanpatti and Iyyampatti.
Thanking Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam for passing an ordinance to allow jallikattu within three days, Pallavarayanpatti temple pujari M. Jambuli said jallikattu would be held at his village after three years.
Iyampatti village committee president R. Krishnan said ₹12 lakh was needed to conduct jallikattu at his village. About 650 families living in the village had contributed ₹1,000 each for the event. Still, they faced a shortage of funds. The government should sanction additional funds for conducting the event, he appealed.
A similar meeting was held at the RDO Office in Dindigul. Jallikattu will be held at Ulagampatti (on February 4), Kosavapatti (Feb. 10), Maravapatti (Feb. 12), Pugaiyilaipatti (Feb. 15), K. Avarampatti (Feb. 18), Pillamanaickanpatti (Feb. 22) and Thavasimadai (Feb. 26).
