Deputy CM flags off Palamedu jallikattu; youth gets car as prize for taming 17 bulls

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin flagged off the Palamedu jallikattu on Friday in the presence of Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P. Moorthy, District Collector K.J. Praveen Kumar, Corporation Commissioner Chitra Vijayan and other officials.

Following the release of the seven traditional temple bulls of Palamedu, the event officially commenced.

In a highly competitive event, Ajith from Ponthukkampatti was declared the winner and was awarded a car after taming 17 bulls.

Prabhakaran received a bike for second place, while Karthi from Namakkal district secured the third prize, for taming 11 bulls.

Speaking after his victory, Ajith said, “I have come to catch bulls as the only son in my house. I am very happy to have won the first prize; my mother will be proud of this.”

The competition resulted in injuries to a total of 37 people, including 11 bull tamers, 13 bull owners, and 13 spectators.

Eight seriously injured persons were transported to the Government Rajaji Hospital.

The bull belonging to Sreedharan from Kulamangalam was selected as the best bull and awarded a tractor, while the bull from Kaikurichi in Pudukkottai was announced as the second best, winning a gold coin.

Prior to the event, rigorous medical examinations were conducted for the tamers, covering height, weight, blood pressure, and oxygen levels, along with tests for alcohol and drug use. Veterinarians similarly screened 831 bulls, of which 824 qualified for the arena.

For emergency response, 12 ‘108’ ambulances, two bike ambulances, and 40 medical staff were kept on standby to provide immediate first aid and transport the injured.

While 485 tamers initially arrived for screening, 461 participated, as 24 were disqualified for various violations. O

Officials confirmed that 870 bulls were released over a total of nine rounds, with the tenth round being cancelled due to time constraints.