Scheduled annually in January, the renowned bull-taming sport of jallikattu is hosted in Madurai’s Alanganallur. The Tamil Nadu government has undertaken the construction of a state-of-the-art jallikattu arena at Keelakarai in Alanganallur, which will be ready for the January 2024 event.The development work at the arena was visited on May 7 by EV Velu, Minister for Public Works and Highways.
EV Velu informed the media, “The announcement for the arena was made on January 21, 2022, and 16 acres of the identified 67-acre government poramboke land in Keelakarai has been allocated for the arena, with an estimated cost of Rs 44 crore.”
The arena will feature a spacious sporting area, a vaadivaasal (main entrance), administrative offices, dedicated spaces for tamers and bulls to undergo medical tests, a first aid center, a media gallery, a registration center for bulls, changing rooms, a cloakroom, a museum, and temporary sales counters. Additionally, the construction will include stormwater drains, a fountain, artificial turf, and a 50,000-litre overhead water tank.
The construction of the new jallikattu arena commenced on March 18 and is expected to be completed by December 18, 2022. EV Velu further stated, “To ensure smooth transportation, the Highways Department will lay a link road between Thanichiyam-Alanganallur Road and the jallikattu venue, spanning approximately 3.3 km, at an estimated cost of Rs 22 crore. Once the proposal is approved, the construction of the 10-meter-wide road will commence.”
Jallikattu holds significant cultural value in Tamil tradition and is traditionally held during the Pongal (Sankranti) festival each year.
Jallikattu was last played from January 15 to January 17, 2023. The event was primarily observed in three villages: Avaniyapuram, Palamedu, and Alanganallur. Each location hosted the event on a different day, with Palamedu on January 15, Avaniyapuram on January 16, and Alanganallur on January 17.
Recap of history :
According to researchers, the Jallikattu sport, representing the Tamil civilization with a history of 4500 years, has been backed by evidence found in the Indus Valley, as stated by Archaeologist Iravatham Mahadevan in his report. Additionally, R. Balakrishnan IAS has also supported this concept through his research.
Previously, there was no dedicated stadium for Jallikattu. However, the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to construct a stadium in Alanganallur, renowned worldwide for Jallikattu, has brought joy to the people of Tamil Nadu, particularly those in Madurai who are celebrating this announcement.
Jallikattu competitions are a testament to the Indus Valley Civilization. The Eruthazhuvuthal competition, known as Jallikattu, has been held continuously for the past 4500 years. Some view the preservation of this competition as crucial for safeguarding our cultural remnants. By emphasizing its significance, we strive to protect Jallikattu. Among the 500 Jallikattu bulls in our town, around 20 of them actively participate and emerge victorious in the competition. Farmers focus on breeding these bulls to obtain superior species, indirectly ensuring the production of high-quality bulls.
Recognizing this, Chief Minister M K Stalin has taken the initiative to build a Jallikattu stadium. This endeavor also contributes to saving the lives of bulls following the regulation of the sport. Preserving the existence of bulls also ensures the survival of cows, which is essential for our cultural traditions to flourish smoothly. Karthikeya Shiva Senathipathy affirms the significance of this international-level initiative.