Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated Jallikattu competition in Pudukkottai’s Viralimalai, hoping to set Guinness record today.
The competition organised to set a world record have registered over 2,000 bulls from Pudukkottai, Trichy and Madurai.
More than 500 bull-tamers have registered for the event. This is also the first time in Jallikattu that the tamers have been insured. The government has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana insurance scheme for the bull-tamers at the event with a death cover of Rs 2 lakh each at a premium of Rs 12 each.
The best bull-tamers and the owners of best bulls will be receiving two cars, 10 motorcycles, 700 bicycles, gold and silver coins and home appliances. Galleries have been arranged for nearly 30,000 people.
Guinness Records Group Executive Committee members and three foreign judges have been invited to determine the winners of the game.
A huge gallery which can accomodate 30,000 spectatoirs have been set up. Over 700 police personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil.
A few days ago, the famous Alanganallur jallikattu took place. A total of 29 people sustained minor injuries at the jallikattu event in Alanganallur. The event which was largely incident-free, however, saw the death of one spectator who suffered a cardiac arrest, officials said.
According to sources, Sadayandi, 45, from Alanganallur, who was watching the sport from the audience gallery complained of dizziness and was immediately taken to the local Urban Primary Health Centre. The patient was then referred to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) where he was declared ‘brought dead’.
Sadayandi is survived by his wife and three children. District Collector S Natarajan, who addressed the media after the start of jallikattu, said only six tamers were referred to the GRH. Many others sustained only minor injuries.