Yogadarshini with her jallikattu bull
For the student Yogadarshini, who has been making her bull participate in the jallikattu competition for the past 7 years, the upcoming jallikattu is very important. What is the reason?
Yogadarshini (age 17) is the daughter of Muthu, a milk trader from Airavathanallur, Madurai district. He is studying in twelfth standard. Yogadarshini’s family followed their ancestors by breeding bulls for jallikattu competitions. Following her father and elder brother, Yogadarshini has been fielding bulls in jallikattu competitions for the past 7 years.
Yogadarshini’s bull named ‘Vadamukhatu Karupu’ participated in Madurai Avaniyapuram jallikattu competition held last year. When the bull was released from the wither, the two men together caught the bull. It is noted that it is illegal for two people to catch a bull together.
But the co-ordinating committee announced that the bull would be held and the prize would go to the festival committee. And the festival committee said that they will give a consolation prize to Yogadarshini who unleashed the bull.
But Yogadarshini refused, not wanting a consolation prize. In this situation, he is preparing to field his bull in the jallikattu competition to be held this year. And since he could not win last year, he is training his bull with the motivation to win the upcoming jallikattu competition.
Propensity to succeed
Speaking to BBC Tamil, Yogadarshini said, “I refused the consolation prize announced for our cow last year because it was caught, and said that I will win and get the prize next year. I am waiting for the same this year as well.”
“Among the three wadis in Madurai, Avaniyapuram, Palamedu, Alankanallur, we are not sure which of the wadis we are going to untie our cows in. We are not sure which town we will get a chance as Jallikattu permit ID card is now being issued online.
We are present in all three cities. We will unleash our bull on whatever wadi we find in it. Every year we untie the bull at Avaniyapuram and Alankanallur. Last year it was available in Avaniyapuram due to internet identity card system. So we untied the bull only there. We will untie whatever wadi we get this year,” said Yogadarshini.
“Want to win in Avaniyapuram”
Yogadarshini tending cows with her brother
“Last year, the cow was caught only in Avaniyapuram. Subsequently, the bull won jallikattu competitions held in towns like Coimbatore, Pudukottai and Sivagangai. But this year I am looking forward to unleashing the bull in Avaniyapuram rather than Alankanallur and Palamedu areas. There is a reason for that,” said Yogadarshini.
When asked what the reason was,
“My father often used to say that one should search in a distant place and win in a lost place. For that one purpose, we are eagerly waiting for victory in Avaniyapuram. Any wadi we get is a happy thing for us. But if we get Avaniyapuram, it will be even happier. We are confident that our cow will win this time. Yogadarshini said.
A father who fulfills his daughter’s wish
Yogadarshini and Kalai with father Muthu
Father Muthu told the BBC that due to Yogadarshini’s interest in jallikattu, he would provide her with facilities to raise bulls.
“I have been rearing jallikattu bulls and competing in jallikattu since my childhood. After this jallikattu struggle, my daughter Yogadarshini wanted to pit the bull. Since then she has also been untying bulls for jallikattu competition since last 7 years.
She is preparing the bull with the intention of winning this year as the cow was caught last year.
We are also doing what my daughter needs. We are expecting our bull to win this year,” says Yogadarshini’s father.
“Joined Jallikattu, can’t leave this”
Continuing, Yogadarshini said, “I have been fielding bulls in jallikattu competitions since class 6. Then my mother would not go near the bull, she would be very scared.
When I first expressed my desire to take the bull to Jallikattu, my mother did not allow me. But dad took me to jallikattu after getting my mother’s permission to take me only to watch jallikattu matches,” he said.
He says that when he went there, his father, brother and his brother’s friends made him untie the bull, and from then on he became more interested in untying the bull in Jallikattu. Yogadarshini says that after that they started untying the bulls in Jallikattu in Bharapatti, Avaniyapuram and Alankanallur.
And he said, “Even now, my mother is still a fool. She keeps telling me that untying the bull is enough for jallikattu. But now even if I want to give it up, I can’t. I am so attached to jallikattu. I will not give it up for anyone anymore,” Yogadarshini said.
Young woman documenting jallikattu bull rearing
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