Meet the bulls of Madurai ready to enter the jallikattu arena

After months of training, jallikattu bulls of Madurai gear up to enter the arena and show their might. We meet some of the bulls and their rearers.

There is only one week to go for Madurai district’s annual display of jallikattu and Alanganallur, its epicentre, is crackling with energy from both the bulls and men. The bulls grunt when strangers come close. Men on the other hand, croon tales of their victories and are happy to chat about their pride. 

In villages across the district, one can find the names of bulls they rear, as part of their name board and marriage invitations. The ones who have died after showcasing their might in the vaadivasal (arena), get elaborate burials and shrines. They are family.

Across Madurai, bulls are trained year-round to ensure that they are not caught by an onslaught of players who are hungry for the title of veeran or champion. They are fed a strict diet of cotton seed, wheat husk and raw rice — ringing up a bill of ₹30,000 a month. They are also trained to swim, walk and poke wet earth to strengthen their skills. 

All bulls that enter the arena must be ferocious. Their demeanour must threaten the players enough to ensure that they do not come close. But the best bulls must stand and play. Their sharp horns, grunts and charges, should ensure that players run at sight. “There are usually two kinds of jallikattu bulls. The first, spins in the arena in circles. The second, attacks,” says AP Saravana Kumar, a bull rearer from Alanganallur. Those that shake off the players who come close are titled winners and those who especially stand their ground to fight and entertain the crowds, are crowned as champion bulls, winning cars, bikes and expensive gadgets at the end of the event. 

We meet Kettavan, Ramu, Appu and Chinna Komban, among the best bulls in Madurai and nearby districts, to find out what makes these otherwise calm bulls furious competitors on ground. 

In Kulamangalam, some 12 kilometres outside Madurai city, a stark white farmhouse stands amidst lush green paddy fields. In it, are 23 bulls including Kettavan which literally translates to bad guy, advocate KM Thiruppathy’s prized possession. Kettavan was reared here since 2016. Today, the owner has constructed a swimming pool just so that the bull’s breathing and stamina gets better.

“Kettavan is a performer. As soon as he hears the mics at the venue, he will understand exactly where he is and will begin his shenanigans at the vaadi right before he enters, sometimes, trying to poke some of the handlers. As he enters the arena, he will spin fast and topple all those who try to touch him. It is a treat to watch,” he says. He adds that the two minutes that the bull plays at the venue is enough satisfaction to fuel him for the rest of the year. “After all, it is a matter of pride when they announce that ‘KM Thiruppathy’s bulls have entered the arena,” he says.