Tamil Nadu CM Stalin set to inaugurate Jallikattu arena in Keelakarai on January 24

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 18 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is set to inaugurate Jallikattu arena in Keelakarai, Madurai district, on January 24.
A press note by the state government said, "TN Chief Minister MK Stalin is going to inaugurate the newly constructed jallikattu arena in Keelakarai, Madurai District, on January 24, 2024. On that day, the Jallikattu competition will be conducted following the guidelines issued by the government in the newly constructed arena."
The press note further said that the bull tamers and bull owners of bulls who wish to participate in Jallikattu should update their names by January 19, 2024, through the madurai.nic.in website.
"Bull tamers registering on the website should register with their fitness certificate. The bull owner and only one person along with the bull will be allowed to participate in jallikattu competition. The token can be issued to the bull tamers only after verifying their certificate," it added.
Jallikattu is an age-old event celebrated mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu as part of Pongal celebrations. In the sport, a bull is released into a crowd of people and participants in the event try to grab the large hump on the bull's back, attempting to bring the bull to a stop.
Due to the risk of injury, both to the participants and the bull, the animal rights organisations called for a ban on the sport. However, after long protests by the people against the ban, the Supreme Court, in May 2023, upheld the Tamil Nadu government's law allowing the bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu' in the state.
A five-judge Constitution bench of Justices KM Joseph, Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments' laws allowing the bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu' and bullock cart races.
The Tamil Nadu government had defended the event of "Jallikattu" and told the apex court that sporting events can also be cultural events and there is no cruelty on the bulls in "Jallikattu."
Jallikattu, also known as sallikkattu, is celebrated on the third day of Pongal, Mattu Pongal Day. The history of this bullfight dates back to 400-100 BCE when it was played by the Ayars, an ethnic group in India. The name is coined from two words: Jalli (silver and gold coins) and Kattu (tied).
Pulikulam or Kangayam, is the breed of bull used for the sport. The bulls that win the festival are in high demand in the market and fetch the highest price. They are also used for breeding.