Why Jallikattu ? - Ancient Tamil sport marked in Indus Valley!!
Jallikattu - meaning - Embracing the bull in Tamil. This game is played for ages to save the native breeds of bulls from extinction. In India, we have only humped bulls and all the humpless ones are from foreign countries. Out of these humped bulls, Kangeyam and Pullikulam breeds are the most famous ones for the game jallikattu.
There are many variants of Jallikattu. Out of which, 'Vadi Manjuvirattu' is renowned one during the day of mattu pongal (second day of pongal). Usually in this Jallikattu game, bulls will come out of 'Vaadi Vaasal' (a gate through which bull enters into the competition area) with a high speed. At a time, more than one person should not touch the bull, if anyone tries to harm / provoke the bull, they will be disqualified from the game. Before the game begins, each bull and every contestant of this game should go through a proper medical checkup. Once, the doctor declares a fitness certificate for both the bull and the contestant, then they will be allowed to participate in the game.
There are many rules for this game, the person who participates in the competition should be physically fit, at a time only one person should hold the hump, those who touch the tail, horns, neck of the bull are disqualified from the game etc. As a tradition, first kovil kaalai (temple bull) will come out of the gate and the players will allow it for a free run, they will not touch the bull.
Now, why this Jallikattu game is needed now?
This game is not needed for humans, this game is practiced for ages, in order to preserve our country breeds from extinction. How?? Only with the genes of stud bulls, stronger calves will be given birth, thus in order to preserve the genes of our vedic bull breeds, this practise is being followed for many generations.
How do we have stud bulls ?? only by feeding food and maintaining them? Can we humans, be stronger only by eating and taking rest? Stud bulls should be agile, alert and virile. In the peak of the reproductive period, the necessary male hormones needs to be secreted, pumping hearts and adrenaline rushes.
When the stud bulls enters into the vadi vaasal with much force and speed, their testosterone level increases, when the humans tries to control the bull, in a agile it will give back the force and due to which their hear pumps faster and there will be an increase in hormone levels. It is the game for bravery of a man and the bull. The one who holds bull's hump for 20 - 30 seconds, without harming it will be declared as a winner. A bull will be there in the game arena for max 40 seconds.
When the bull wins in the competition (meaning - no one couldn't control the bull), then it will be taken directly to the cows of the temple for mating. As per our science, it is believed that after this competition, bulls will have complete power and the calves will have the best genes with more power and strength. Only our vedic humped cow gives A2 milk. The A2 milk produced by our Indian cows are good for health, where as the A1 milk from the cross breeds or humpless cows are toxic for health. A2 milk is having more micro nutrients and minerals which enhances our immunity system.
Significance of Humped Cows
Our native cows and bulls have hump. This hump is unique and holds the secret of goodness. Only humped cows gives A2 milk, all the humpless ones gives A1 milk. This purity and goodness can be seen in all product of humped cows, such as milk, cow urine (gomutra), cow dung etc.
In hinduism, a cow and calf should be entered first into the newly constructed home, which symbolically means that gods and divinity entered into their home. Also, during the construction of the home, many living beings such as insects, plants, grass would have been killed. So in order to purify oneself from this sin, homam / yagna will be performed by pandits at home and to purify the home, gomutra will be sprinkled everywhere in the house. Native cow breed is used for this occasion, only humped cows represents goodness and auspiciousness. So its a procedure that cow and calf should enter into the home first. Cow's gomutra is used to purify the home, this gomutra of humped cows doesn't smell bad unlike humpless ones. In India, native cows and bulls have special place in our traditions.
In olden days, cow dung is used to sanitise the floors. It is also used to cover the outer walls of the houses, to keep the house cool and also to absorb the harmful radiations from entering into their home. That's the power of humped cows.
Why only the humped cows are pure and auspicious ?
This Nadi will be there only in Indian native bulls. This channel is the secret for A2 milk and it is the powerhouse of purity. We Indians, worship cows and bulls. We believe that there are many gods and goddess in the form of cows and bulls.
On a year, our vedic humped cows gives 3 times more milk than the humpless cows. One should not calculate the number of litres of milk in a day, one should calculate the number of litres of milk produced in a YEAR. Today Brazil is minting money by selling humped desi bull's semen, which they have taken from India.
If this Jallikattu sport is stopped, the agile and stud genes of our native bulls will become extinct and as a result, we would not be having A2 milk, medicinal Gomutra and cow dungs of our cows. When the native cows and bulls becomes extinct, we have to depend on foreign countries for their cow breeds to get useless toxic A1 milk. This is the main reason for banning Jallikattu. For more information about Jallikattu and importance of bulls in world's history, reach out to,
From the history of Indus valley civilisation....
There are some seals unearthed from Banawali, an Indus Valley site. They are - Bull leaping form of non violent bull fighting seals and images were identified. Refer the below picture,
Jallikattu is a traditional and oldest sport of Tamizh people followed for many millennium years in all the places where the Tamizh people had settled.
For more information about bulls in Indus valley civilisation, reach out to,
Jallikattu around the World
Bali's harvest festival in Indonesia is very similar to Pongal festival in India. Both these festivals does not occur at the same time, due to its climatic conditions. But, the rituals followed in these harvest festivals, its traditions and celebrations are very similar.
A famous part of this festival is the Negara Bull Races. This bull race is similar to Jallikattu. Negara bull races are held at Perancak, where the water buffaloes are decorated and raced along the streets. Refer the below picture..
These bull races are held in different names in various regions of India, such as Jallikattu and Rekla race in Tamil Nadu, Bail Gadi Shariat in Maharastra, Maramadi in Kerala and Kambala in Karnataka.
For more information about harvest festival around the world and the significance of Pongal, reach out the below post,
Jallikattu was started by our ancestors thousand and thousands of years ago for a specific reason. It is not just a game, it is more about saving the human lives through the native cows and bulls. For a better human lives, we need to save the native breeds of bulls from extinction. It is a chain reaction, we humans and bulls coevolved at the same time. Bulls played significant role in domestication and agricultural aspects for many millenniums. It is the responsibility of our humans to save our native bulls, to understand the science behind our culture, traditions and to pass on this knowledge to the next generation for the betterment of the society!!
- Aarthi Thiyagarajan