Tamil Nadu: People gather in Kallandhiri village to celebrate age-old fishing festival

Madurai: On Saturday, residents of many nearby villages came together to celebrate the centuries-old fishing festival in Kallandhiri village, close to Melur, in a colorful demonstration of custom and devotion. The locals give the fish they catch to the god in accordance with the rites in order to improve crop and health. Every year, at the start of the summer, the event is held.

Meanwhile, a stunning Jallikattu event was held on Friday as part of the annual festival of Sri Pidari Amman Temple at Thiruvarankulam, close to Pudukkottai, which drew large throngs of eager participants.

Three hundred tamers and seven hundred bulls from different regions in Tamil Nadu participated in the event.

The fiercely competitive sport demonstrated the players’ ability and daring as they tried to cling to the rushing bulls’ humps. As the bulls, decked up in vibrant decorations, demonstrated their power and agility, the audience shouted wildly.

During the Pongal season and temple festivals, Jallikattu, a representation of Tamil tradition, remains a popular destination.

In several regions of Tamil Nadu, the traditional sport of bull-taming is performed as a component of the Pongal harvest celebration. In this customary ritual, a bull is let loose into a crowd, and many human players try to tame the bull by grabbing the big hump on its back.

Avaniyapuram village hosted the opening day of the world-famous three-day Jallikattu festival in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, in January of this year. The event comprises 1,100 bulls and 900 bull tamers.

Along with other awards, the best bull won a tractor valued at Rs 11 lakhs, while the best bull-tamer received a vehicle valued at Rs 8 lakhs. Alanganallur and Palamedu hosted Madurai’s other two Jallikattu events.