Jallikattu

Day 1 

January 16th 2023

Jallikattu was in the bottom of my bucket list for a long time as Pongal coincides with Makara Vilakku maholsavam at Ayyapankavu temple, couldn't plan for Jallikattu, but this year, everything went well, got info about dates at Palamedu & Alanganallur

Amritha express sleeper ticket was not available from Ernakulam north, so booked Udumalapetu to Madurai, booked dormitory retiring room @ Madurai, return ticket, but had a tough time, only option was to sit on the floor upto Palakkad Junction. From Udumalpet moved onto my reserved seat, reached Madurai at about 10am

Madurai junction is very well connected, the Periyar bus terminal is very nearby, got a bus to Thirumala Naikar Palace, a palace with huge pillars & courtyard, Pongal cultural activities was going on, spend some time inside and moved to Palamedu

Palamedu is about 24 kms most of them were to Jallikattu, the ride to Palamedu is with nice views flanked by green paddy fields on both sides, a 45 mins ride from Madurai

Vadivasal the main area were bulls will be set free, is covered with coir husk, so bull tamers will not be injured when they fall. Both sides are with galleries , double wooden barricades with iron mesh, gallery on both sides, and battalions of police for crowd control

People sneak in between the barricades to have a closer look of Jallikattu.

Around 500+ bulls are accompanied by the owner & assistant, they will release the bull and run away, bull tamers will catch the hump and if they can hold for 60 seconds they get , gold coins, plastic chair, air cooler, pillows, almirah, cycle, steel container it changes randomly, if the bull runs free, bull owners also get the same things. Bumper prize a car for the best bull tamer, decided most number of catches

As a camera person, perched on the barricades, had a nice view of the action, and most of them inside the barricades were removed by the police

A dangerous game of death, with no regard for life, saw a tamer gored by a bull, later heard that he died on the way to hospital

Back to Madurai, went to Meenakshi temple saw, never ending queues, on all entry, so decided to come early morning, went to Thirumalai Nayakar palace saw the light & sound show it was in Tamil so couldn't follow

IRCTC retiring rooms are run by private operators, with a PNR number we can book retiring rooms at stations, charged for hourly slots. A nice lobby, got the key from the reception, a AC dormitory

a room with 6 cubicles had a nice sleep

day 2

Woke up early morning, moved to Meenakshi temple, mobiles are not allowed, so kept everything in temple locker,moved inside saw a winding que which was not moving waited for 1.30 hrs, due to time constraints escaped from que, bought Ladoo prasadam and back to Periyar bus stand

Alanganallur was also on the same route of Palamedu 17 kms from Periyar bus stand,

bus stopped, way back from the event place after a short walk reached the place, galleries on both sides, people will be allowed for 1 hour, so everyone can view the Jallikattu, waited for sometime, as the place was congested with narrow lanes, police lathicharged to make way for the Ambulance as it was the only access to the venue, dropped the plan and moved along the barricades to see the bulls coming from the Vadivasal, moved to the back of the venue to see were the bulls are taken to Vadivasal area

 A hearty meal with mutton, chicken curry & rasam from a bull owner met on the bylane of Alanganallur 

by 2 pm left Alanganallur, reached Madurai jn, Amritha express was at 16.10 reached home at 00.40 am

Jallikattu main venues are Avaniapuram, Palamedu & Alanganallur, most of the placesin and around Madurai are conducting Jallikattu, at the time of Pongal and the following days