Nearly 650 bulls are expected to participate in the upcoming jallikattu event in Alagumalai village on February 2.
According to S. Palanisamy, president, Alagumalai Jallikattu Bulls Welfare Association, bulls from the districts of Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode have started registering for the event. “Bulls from other parts of the district are expected to be registered after Pongal (January 15),” he said. Aadhaar cards of the bulls’ owners along with veterinary certificates for the bulls must be produced for registration, he said. Around 75 Kangeyam bulls have registered as of Tuesday and more are expected in January, he said.
Equivalent to the bulls, nearly 600 candidates from across the State are expected to participate at Alagumalai jallikattu. “Around 200 participants have already registered,” Mr. Palanisamy said.
Alagumalai is a village panchayat in Pongalur Panchayat Union, where the Alagumalai Jallikattu Bulls Welfare Association has been organising jallikattu since 2018. “This will be the third time that jallikattu will be held here,” Mr. Palanisamy said. On Monday, the inaugural ceremony known as kaalkol vizha was held and the ground where jallikattu will be held was cleaned.
To ensure the safety of the members of the audience, double barricades will be set up near the seats and no member of the audience will be allowed to enter the ground at any point during the event, according to Mr. Palanisamy.
