70 including spectators injured in Viralimalai jallikattu

TRICHY: A total of 1,805 bulls and 327 bull-tamers participated in the jallikattu held at Viralimalai in Pudukottai district on Thursday which saw around 70 people including spectators suffering injuries. The event was inaugurated by minister for health and family welfare, C Vijaya Baskar, who is also the MLA from Viralimalai constituency.
District collector S Ganesh also attended the event while as many as 500 police personnel were deployed for security.The event, which was held as part of the festival at Ammankulam Pattamarathan Karuppasamy temple, was a much-anticipated one since jallikattu could not be held there last year due to various reasons. Apart from the collector, district superintendent of police S Selvaraj and officials of the district animal husbandry, public works and revenue departments supervised the event.
The bulls and bull-tamers were inspected before being declared eligible to participate. They had come from places far and near like Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Trichy and Pudukottai and were made to participate in three different shifts. The injured bull-tamers and spectators were given first aid at the medical camp that was set up at the spot and later sent to the government hospital.
Bull-raiser Selvam of Dindigul, whose bull was untamed, received a car as reward while the best bull-tamers received bikes, gold and silver vessels, cash rewards and more. Several ministers including tourism minister Vellamandi N Natarajan, minister for backward classes and minority welfare S Valarmathi, minister for social welfare and noon meal programme, V Saroja and transport minister M R Vijayabaskar witnessed the event.