Jallikattu

Jallikattu:  Seven people, including six spectators, died, and over 400 were injured during jallikattu events across Tamil Nadu.

• About: Jallikattu (or Sallikkattu) is also known as Eru Thazhuvuthal and Mañcuvirattu.
• The sport is prominent in the Jallikattu belt comprising Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai, and Dindigul districts.
• Celebrated during the Tamil harvest festival Pongal, in the second week of January.
• Historical Significance: A tradition over 2,000 years old, Jallikattu is both a competitive sport and a way to honour bull owners who rear bulls for mating.

o Contestants try to tame the bull to win a prize; if unsuccessful, the bull owner claims the prize. It serves as a traditional practice for the peasant community to preserve pure-breed native bulls.

o Popular breeds include Kangayam, Pulikulam, Umbalachery, Barugur, and Malai Maadu.