Tamil Nadu Jallikattu: Bull owner, spectator gored to death by menacing bull in two days

A young bull owner was gored to death by a menacing bull during the Jallikattu event held at Periyar Suriyur in Tiruchi in central Tamil Nadu on Saturday, the day of Maattu Pongal (Cow Pongal) festival. The 27-year-old bull owner Meenakshisundaram hailing from the temple town of Srirangam, is the second person to be gored to death during the Jallikattu, a bull-taming sport, this season.

On Friday, when the festival of harvest Pongal was celebrated, a spectator was killed by a bull at Avaniapuram in Madurai in south Tamil Nadu. The Avaniapuram jallikattu is among the most famous annual bull taming event – the other two being in Palamedu and Alanganallur, both in Madurai, which attracts visitors from many parts of the globe. The sporting event, is nonetheless, conducted in varied forms in different parts of Tamil Nadu, particularly the delta and western region.

However, with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading rapidly in Tamil Nady – Saturday alone saw 23,989 fresh cases – the district administration had imposed heavy restrictions on the rural sport, allowing only a limited number of spectators.

At all the Jallikattu events, where the bravery of participants is judged by how long they manage to cling on to the hump of a raging and ferocious bull in an arena, authorities had made it mandatory for the bull tamers to have a double vaccination certificate against COVID-19.

Police said on Saturday a bull owner Meenakshisundaram was guiding his bull to the Vaadivasal (the entry point from where a bull is let into the arena) at Periya Suriyur when the ferocious animal went out of control and gored him. He was rushed to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi, where doctors declared him “brought dead”.

Besides, nine persons including bull tamers were injured by the raging bulls in the arena. An estimated 400 bulls and 300 bull tamers participated in the event.

On Pongal day, at Avaniapuram, at least 80 persons, mostly participants, were injured while, Balamurugan (19), a spectator was gored to death at the bull collection point. His body was sent to the Government Rajaji Hospital.

The Jallikattu is a prestigious event with politicians including ministers inaugurating them.