Breeds of Alanganallur
A village near Madurai whose jallikattu, held during Pongal, is the best known of Tamil Nadu's bull-taming events.
Breeds of this place
Best time: January, on the days of Pongal.
Alanganallur is a small town north of Madurai. Each January, during the harvest festival of Pongal, it holds jallikattu, in which bulls are released one at a time through a gate into a crowd of young men who try to hold on to the hump. Alanganallur's event, held a couple of days after those at Avaniyapuram and Palamedu, is the most famous.
Jallikattu
Jallikattu is part of Mattu Pongal, the day of Pongal set aside for cattle, when bulls are washed, their horns painted and their necks garlanded. In the arena, a tamer must hold the bull's hump for a set distance or time, and prizes go to tamers and to bull owners whose animals are not held. The event has long been debated. Animal welfare groups raised concerns about injuries to bulls and people, and the Supreme Court of India banned it in 2014.
The law and the bulls
After large public protests in 2017, Tamil Nadu passed a law allowing jallikattu under rules on veterinary checks, arena design and safety, and in 2023 the Supreme Court upheld state laws of this kind. Supporters see the event as a living tradition that keeps native bulls such as the Pulikulam and Kangayam in demand for breeding. Critics remain concerned for the animals. Both views are widely held.
A trail idea for Alanganallur
- The vadivasal The gate through which bulls enter the arena.
- Madurai Meenakshi temple The great temple of the nearby city.
- Village cattle sheds Jallikattu bulls are raised with care in households around Madurai.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Alanganallur" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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