Buffalo Race In Karnataka You Might Want To Witness

Karnataka offers an attractive bouquet to tourists. The state has beautiful landscapes, mouth-watering food, pristine beaches and rich cultural heritage. One of the most famous festivals in the state is the Kambala race, which is mainly celebrated in coastal Karnataka. It is a traditional buffalo race, a popular sport among the agricultural community of the state. The festival starts in November and continues till March of the following year.

Kambala starts after the paddy harvesting is done. A buffalo race can be seen in Dakshina Kannada villages including Mangalore and Udupi.

Kamba celebrations are thousands of years old. There are many beliefs and versions in the history of the festival. Many believe that it was started by the Karnataka Farmers’ Association to please Kadri Manjunatha Swamy, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, for a good harvest this season. Another belief of origin concerns the royal family. The Hoysala kings are said to have started this tradition from their past.

The race is held on two parallel race tracks filled with slush water. Buffaloes are trained, well fed and nurtured for invasive species. In this event the animals usually run in pairs, held together by plows and ropes. Traditionally the winner of the bet was awarded coconuts, but as times have changed, the winner is now awarded a gold medal or a cash prize.

Many animal activists raised animal cruelty and filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2014 against animal cruelty. In November of the same year, the SC delivered a verdict banning Kambala.

But in 2017, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, kambala was again legalized as a traditional sport. Although the SC has issued guidelines, it has asked the participants not to use whips on the buffaloes.

Kambala jockey Bajagoli Jogibettu Nishant Shetty ran 8.36 seconds in the 100m race and created a new record. pic.twitter.com/R1klO4W7qq

— solmelu (@TeamSolmelu) April 11, 2022

If you want to watch the race, book the tickets as per the schedule shared by the Kambala Committee.

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