India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu held its annual bull-taming spectacle on January 16 and over 50 people were reportedly injured. The bull-taming spectacle is a key part of the harvest festival. The earliest evidence of this event has been featured in ancient Indian cave paintings and iconography. During Jallikattu, a Zebo (Bos indicus bull) is released into a crowd of men who try to stop and take the bull. Bos indicus bulls are usually bred specially for the event. This event is associated with strength and courage and honors the bull owners. The bulls have been trained to pierce the ground with their horns. The bull's strength has been calculated at what length their horns have steeped into the ground.

A test of grit was on full display with the animals fiercely trying to get past the waiting men while the tamers attempted to get on to their humps to emerge victoriously. The animals were let out one after the other from 'Vadivasal,' a narrow entrance to the sporting arena after announcements on the bull. The bull owners were given prizes if their animals outmaneuvered the waiting men and the participants were rewarded if they managed to hang from the hump of the bulls for a while. Men seeking to dominate the bulls were tested for coronavirus and animals were examined by veterinarians.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Tamil Nadu has made it mandatory for all the participants to undergo RT-PCR test and present a negative certificate to be eligible to enter the arena on the day of the event. The regulations over audiences have also been tightened to avoid crowding and preventing the spread of the virus.

India’s southern state Tamil Nadu annually holds a spectacle of bull-taming, which is a key part of the harvest festival. The earliest evidence of this event has been featured in ancient Indian cave paintings and iconography. During Jallikattu, a Zebo (Bos indicus bull) is released into a crowd of men who are trying to stop and take the beast. Bos indicus bulls are usually bred specially for the event. This event is associated with strength and courage and honors the bull owners. The bulls have been trained to pierce the ground with their horns. The bull's strength has been calculated by the way, at what length their horns has steeped into the ground.

A test of grit was on full display with the animals fiercely trying to get past the waiting men while the tamers attempted to get on to their humps to emerge victoriously. The animals were let out one after the other from 'Vadivasal,' a narrow entrance to the sporting arena after announcements on the bull. The bull owners were given prizes if their animals outmaneuvered the waiting men and the participants were rewarded if they managed to hang from the hump of the bulls for a while. Men seeking to dominate the bulls were tested for coronavirus and animals were examined by veterinarians.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Tamil Nadu has made it mandatory for all the participants to undergo RT-PCR test and present a ‘negative’ certificate to be eligible to enter the arena on the day of the event. The regulations over audiences have also been tightened to avoid crowding and preventing the spread of the virus.