31 injured during Jallikattu competitions in Tamil Nadu's Madurai

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As the Jallikattu competition continues despite the Supreme Court ban, 31 participants on Wednesday were injured during the event in Madurai's Avaniyapuram. Meanwhile, 6 of them have been admitted to Rajaji Hospital in Madurai for treatment. This year, 700 bulls and 730 Bull Catchers are participating in it.

Jallikattu is a sport conducted as part of Mattu Pongal, the third day of the four-day-long harvest festival Pongal. Temple bulls, usually considered the head of all cattle in a village, are prepared for the sport. Temple bulls from different villages are brought to a common arena where the Jallikattu happens.

The bulls are then freed into a ground, one by one. Participants are to embrace the bull's hump and try to tame it by bringing the raging bull to a stop, possibly by riding for as long as possible holding its hump.

The bulls that could be tamed are considered weaker, and are used for domestic purposes by the farmers and the untameable ones -- considered the strongest and most virile -- are used for breeding the cows in many villages.

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