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Runners try to avoid Dolores Aguirre Ibarra's fighting bulls
© AFP Pierre-Philippe Marcou

The sport of bullfighting is popularly associated with Spain, but a non-descript village in Tamil Nadu also enjoys this dangerous sport known as "Jallikattu".

Unarmed males of Keelapati Village near Madurai battle it out in the fields with enraged bulls, and in the process some of the participants suffer serious injuries and even die.

"They announce a prize of 'Kuttuvilakku' (a lamp) or a television set, to whoever succeeds in taming the bull. I won it this year. The bulls are fed very well throughout the year and they are given proper care," said Sunderpandi, the winner of the competition.

Bullfighting in Tamil Nadu is said to be a centuries-old sport. Young winners were richly rewarded and even marriages were fixed during the event.

Drunken bulls, with horns sharpened to make them more dangerous, are let loose from an enclosure into the crowd where thousands stand to participate or view the craving to showcase one's machismo motivates the young and not so young participate.

"I've been injured many times during the bullfight in the past few years. But I've always had great fun. I have been participating since the age of seventeen," said Mayandi, a participant.

A public interest petition was filed in the Madras High Court to ban the game, but the sport continues albeit with a few medical professionals present to attend to injuries. (ANI)

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