Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday inaugurated a Jallikattu arena stadium in Madurai district, where the sport is most famous. Jallikattu is a traditional bull taming festival. The controversial sport is conducted during the four-day harvest festival of Pongal every year in early January
Stalin named the stadium at Keelakarai village after his father and five-time chief minister late M Karunanidhi as the ‘Kalaignar Centenary Eru Thazhuvuthal Arangam’ and unveiled his statue.
Eru Thazuvuthal means embracing the bull in classic Sangam literature. After Stalin flagged off the first match on Wednesday, he expressed pleasure that the stadium has come up where the Sangam literature once flourished.
“For the sport steeped in Tamil culture, Eru Thazhuvuthal, the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam] government has built this glorious stadium,” Stalin said. “I’m proud that history will have a space to say that Stalin built this for centuries old-Eru Thazhuvuthal.”
The construction of the stadium was announced in 2022 in the state assembly. Built at a cost of Rs.63 crore, it is a three-tiered stadium spread across 65 acres with a seating capacity of 5,000 spectators and is the first of its kind in Tamil Nadu.
It also has an air-conditioned space that can seat 50 people. A veterinary dispensary and an emergency centre have been set up for the treatment of injured bulls and tamers. Ten emergency vehicles will be stationed here during the competitions. “This is the first such stadium for Jallikattu in the world,” Stalin said at the event.
{{/usCountry}}It also has an air-conditioned space that can seat 50 people. A veterinary dispensary and an emergency centre have been set up for the treatment of injured bulls and tamers. Ten emergency vehicles will be stationed here during the competitions. “This is the first such stadium for Jallikattu in the world,” Stalin said at the event.
{{/usCountry}}This year, Jallikattu was held at more than 100 locations across Tamil Nadu, for which over 66,000 bulls were reared and it was attended by more than 300,000 people.
Jallikattu was temporarily banned in Tamil Nadu from 2014 to 2016 following a Supreme Court order. Following massive protests against the ban in 2017, Tamil Nadu enacted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017 to override the ban. Expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader O Panneerselvam had brought the Ordinance when he was the chief minister in 2017.
In May last year, the Supreme Court affirmed Tamil Nadu’s state law allowing Jallikattu.