Rapid Fire
Jallikattu
- 22 Dec 2025
- 3 min read
The Tamil Nadu government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Jallikattu 2026 to ensure public safety, animal welfare, and strict legal compliance.
- About: Jallikattu, also known as eruthazhuvuthal, is a traditional bull-taming sport of Tamil Nadu, performed as part of the Pongal harvest festival, especially on Mattu Pongal.
- Etymology: Derived from “Jalli” (coins) and “Kattu” (tied), referring to coins tied to a bull’s horn as the prize.
- Cultural significance: It is a 2,000-year-old tradition linked to the Ayar community, celebrating nature, cattle worship, and rural agrarian life; historically, it was also used to select suitable bridegrooms.
- It was depicted in a 1500-year-old cave painting near Madurai and an Indus Valley seal preserved at the National Museum, New Delhi.
- Regions: Predominantly practiced in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai, and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu, known as the Jallikattu belt.
- Nature of the sport: A competitive and physically demanding event where participants attempt to tame a bull; failure results in the bull owner winning the prize.
- Uses indigenous breeds such as Pulikulam and Kangayam, valued for breeding and market strength.
- Controversy: Long contested due to concerns over animal cruelty and human safety, drawing scrutiny from courts and animal rights groups.
- Legal Status: In 2023, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court upheld amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, permitting traditional bull-taming sports such as jallikattu and kambala.
| Read more: Supreme Court Upholds Laws Allowing Jallikattu |
