india

Updated: Oct 29, 2019 23:07 IST

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not visit Tamil Nadu to watch the famous bull-taming sport Jallikattu along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Pongal celebrations, according to news agency ANI on reports from state about President Putin’s visit.

Earlier in the day a government functionary in Madurai district said that they had heard that Putin would visit Alanganallur (a village near Madurai) to see the event along with PM Modi in January 2020.

However, Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar, who represents Thirumangalam assembly constituency in Madurai district, had said that there was no official confirmation of Putin’s visit.

Jallikattu is a sport, played as a part of Pongal (harvest festival dedicated to Sun God) celebrations, where a bull is let loose into a crowd of people. The participants are supposed to take control of the bull by holding its hump as long as they can.

In 2016, the Supreme Court to ban Jallikattu after a plea by animal rights groups after many people had been gored to death. Bbut Tamil Nadu insisted Jallikattu was a crucial part of its culture and identity.

The government later issued an executive order to overturn the court verdict.

Jallikattu is part of the three-day Pongal festival and derives its name from Tamil words ‘salli’ meaning coins and ‘kattu’ meaning package. This refers to the bag of coins which is tied to the bull’s horns which participants try to get hold of. The bull species called Bos indicus, or humped cattle, is specifically bred for Jallikatu.