The sport of taming an Ox is called Jalli Kattu. This is a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, India and also a very popular sport during the festival of Pongal (Harvest) and enjoyed on the Mattu Pongal day.
This is of a specific Indian Breed of Oxes, used for transportation, farming and agriculture and breeding of Indian cattle. The cattle is not found in any of the forests in India today. Most of them are reared as domestic animals and as part of the families in India.
Kurinji, Mullai, Marudham raised cattle and used them in fields. The need to use the cattle in fields was identified in our olden days. And there was need to tame the otherwise wild and bullish oxen for this purpose. So the process of overcoming on the powers of ox, and getting them trained to support farming was a practice. This art in the long run, became a brave sport.
Prizes were given to the brave youngsters who tamed these animals and it was also a tradition to get girls married in the villages to the winners of this sport. When a girl child was born, they also used to adopt of calf and then raise it along with the girl. During the finalization of wedding, who ever could tame the grown up ox, would be selected as the girl's suitor.
The name of this is called 'Eluvadar'. The coins used to be tied to the horns of the ox. With the sounds of the coins during the sport, this brave sport was named as 'JalliKattu'...the sounds.
Eludarvar is Tamil's traditional sport, and protecting the bravery of Tamils, Traditions and sporting event.
Only Indian Indigenious cattle alone can produce A2 milk that is used as the best milk in the world. And Jessy milk for A1 milk. There is a great demand for our cattle.
The food security raised its arms towards more scaring export market for beef and leather than the sport enjoyed one day in a year in the state of Tamil Nadu. Tamilians are the one who introduced the use of fertilized manure from the Ox excretes that saved our organic farming from chemical fertilizers.
In the land where we worship, cows as goddess and maintain our cattle as family members, giving them names and place to stay in harmony with mankind, where is the question of merciless killing of these animals. The Indus Valley Civilization - stone age image depict this as the Oldest Sport in the world - Owned by Tamilians
Natural farming- a modern, cost effective and nature healing way of agriculture is supported with the participation of Indian Cattle in farms. Medicinal values of indigenous breed excretes is also wide known.
The news of Smuggling Indian Bull sperm out of India is also not a strange news. Brazil is the world's largest producer of Milk and beef in the world. It would be fascinating to know that 1 bull from India was auctioned at Rs 1 crore. 60 bulls were exported to Brazil for the strength of the breed that we are failing to protect in India.
In Tamil, it means cattle is a sign of prosperity. The false representation of such cattle as wild animals and in the fake propaganda against Jallikattu affecting the assets and customers of Tamil Nadu.
Where is the justice in stopping this traditional sport alone?
Elephants are used in temples and all over Kerala for lifting logs and other activities. Army has a battalion of horses, camels and dogs. There is thriving market for leather goods. Rats, rabbits and other animals are used for clinical trails. If all this can sustain, then the continuation of Jallikattu should not be banned.
From one of my friend who is owner of 5 such oxes, that participate in Jalli Kattu, the ban is a sentimental blow of the villages who long for the day of this sport. The cattles are not put into any kind of intoxication, use of drugs or alcohal. There are strict rules for the players / sportsmen also who get into the jallikattu arena.
If this sport is injurious to our men, then every other sport like wrestling, weightlifting, cricket and every other sport which has probability of physical injuries are also risky. Can we ban them? For that will put a big hole in the pockets of the politicians and business men who are behind the screens.
Here in Jallikattu, it is the common man with sentiments and traditions fighting more than his might against the courts and rules, self-proclaims animal activists instead of the sporting oxen! Irony!
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