Tirupur: The ferocious Kangeyam bulls are all set to run into the Jallikattu arena once again and strike terror among tamers and spectators. For the last seven years, the Kangeyam bulls were either sold to slaughter houses, used for street shows or were just idling away in the farms.
For the Jallikattu events in southern Tamil Nadu, the bulls from Kangeyam, Dharapuram, Moolanur, Pollachi and Gobichettipalayam are in huge demand. The bull breeders would sell the Kangeyam cattle for hefty prices, a year before the event so that they can be trained.
Velusamy, a cattle farmer in Pappini near Kangeyam, is quite excited about the lifting of ban. “The calves, which are being bred for Jallikattu, should not be castrated and they are being maintained with special care. The people from southern districts will buy the bulls a year before and they train for one more year before letting them into the Jallikattu,” he says.
“The lifting of the ban will increase demand for next year, as the Jallikattu participants will buy the calves a year before to train them,” he adds. Another Kangeyam bull grower, Rameshkumar, is hopeful of getting a better price for his special Kangeyam bulls next Pongal.
“Maintaining of Kangeyam bull requires more money and adequate grazing area. The farmers with passion for the special breed are rearing the bulls. We are providing special care and fodder for those bulls.
“However, proper training for getting them ready for the event would be done by Jallikattu enthusiasts for nearly one year. We hope for better price and demand for the bulls, which could be trained for next year Pongal celebrations.”
When the Supreme Court imposed a ban on Jallikattu about seven years ago, many bull owners just sold them to slaughter houses.
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