Bull baiting

[N. Ganesan]

Reading the following article:
Zvelebil, Kamil, Bull-baiting Festival in Tamil India, Annals of the
Naprstek Museum 1, Prague 1962, pp. 191-199, 4 pp. ills.

Near Madurai, an ancient village sport survives to this day.
Right after Pongal, the Tamil farmer's festival, guys
try to capture rogue bulls. This is called
"kol ERu tazuvutal" in kalittokai, an ancient Tamil sangam classic.
To win a bride, one has to prove valor in those days.

May be after reading Dr. Zvelebil's paper, a person from
the lands of Matador culture went to Tamil Nadu to study this.

Fabio Scialpi, La festa di Pongal a Madurai,
1991. illus.

Regards,
N. Ganesan