Kambala

Kambala

Subject – Art and Culture

Context – ‘Follow SC guidelines on kambala in Maharashtra case’. Karnataka High Court issues direction to State govt.

Concept –

• Kambala is an annual buffalo race held in the south western Indian state of Karnataka.
• Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod of Kerala, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.
• The Kambala season generally starts in November and lasts until March.
• The Kambalas are organized through Kambala samithis (Kambala Associations), of which there are currently 18.
• During the race, the racers try to bring the buffaloes under control by holding their reins tight and whipping them.
• In its traditional form, Kambala was non-competitive and buffalo pairs raced one after another in paddy fields.
• Slushy/marshy paddy field track is used for Kambala.
• It was also observed as thanksgiving to gods for protecting the animals from diseases.
• Animal activists criticize the sport and argue that the Kambala involves acts of cruelty on animals which are not physiologically suited for racing and they run in the race due to fear of being beaten.
  • According to them, it violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. The Act prevents practices which involve unnecessary pain to the animal amounting to cruelty.
• Earlier, the Supreme Court hadbanned jallikattu, bullock-cart races, and kambala events in its judgement on May 7, 2014.
• However, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 approved the organising of kambala event, provided steps are taken to avoid cruelty to the participating bulls.

Jallikattu

• Jallikattu is a traditional bull-taming event that is organised in the Tamil Nadu every year as part of the harvest festival
• It is popular in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu known as the Jallikattu belt.
• It is a violent sport in which contestants try to tame a bull for a prize; if they fail, the bull owner wins the prize.
• The sport requires fighters to pounce on a running bull, try to hold on to its hump and move along with the animal without falling or getting hurt.