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Jallikattu, a renowned bull-taming sport, will go global this year, with Sri Lanka hosting the event for the first time at Triconamalee on Saturday.
Senthil Thonadaman, the Governor of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province, who has roots in Tamil Nadu's Sivagangai district, is in charge of organising the event. A week-long Pongal festival has been organised from Saturday. On the first day, January 6, the Jallikattu festival will be held for the first time in Sri Lanka under the leadership of the Governor of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, Senthil Thondaman. The much-awaited Jallikattu will begin at 10 am at the ground in the Sampur area of Trincomalee. More than 200 bulls and more than 100 bull tamers will participate in the Jallikattu competition. Sri Lankan Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman said that Pongal is one of the popular festivals celebrated by the Tamil community worldwide and the community will hold the Jallikattu and Rekla race from Saturday. "Pongal is one of the festivals which are celebrated by the Tamil community throughout the world. Jallikattu, Mattu Pongal continues as a part of Pongal festival. We are starting the Pongal festival with 1008 Pongal pots and 1500 Bharatnatyam dancers. We will be conducting Jallikattu and Rekla races, silambam fights, boat races, beach kabadi. We have a lot of event connected to Pongal which are happening here. We are proud that the cultural events are restored with the Tamil community. I think 200 bulls and 100 bulls tamers might participate," Senthil Thondaman said speaking to ANI. Jallikattu is a popular bull-embracing sport traditionally played in Tamil Nadu during the Pongal harvest festival in the second week of January. Over 1,000 trained bulls will be released from a closed space called 'vadi vassal', one after the another, and the bull tamers will be on the ground in an attempt to wrap their arms or hands around the hump of the bull and hold on to it to win the award. Only one person is allowed to attempt it at a time. The traditional sport is practised annually and is quite popular in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, especially in Madurai. (ANI)
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