Karnataka - Mangalore   

Kadri Kambala a big draw

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, DEC. 5. The Kadri Manjunatha annual Kambala (slush track buffalo race) held here today brought to the fore a cherished tradition of the coastal region. The venue of the event — Kadri-Kambalaguthu village — wore a festive look with people converging there to witness the race.

Kadri Kambala is one of the oldest kambalas in the district. As it is dedicated to the presiding deity of the village, Kadri Manjunatheshwara, the event has a religious connotation to it. Since Kadri is also the only place where the race is held in Mangalore, it attracts the maximum number of audience, though there are only 11 pairs of buffaloes taking part in the race as against 180 pairs in bigger kambalas organised at Kavalakatte (Mudur Padur) in Bantwal and Koti Chennaya Kambala at Kadalakere, Moodbidri.

Balakrishna Shetty, who heads the organising committee of the kambala, says that the event attracts many people owing to its venue.

K. Gunapala Kadamba, secretary of the District Kambala Organising Committee, says that the kambala has also started attracting youths. One can enjoy this rustic sport only when one is there at the spot, he adds.

He notes that those participating in the kambala cover 130 metres in just 14 seconds while the seasoned ones do so in just 12.5 seconds.

18 places

The kambala is held in 18 places in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and at one place in Kasargod. Since they are organised by various families, they do not get any aid from the Government.

Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat district unit, laments that though the kambala is being held during the Karavali Utsav, there has been no effort to give it adequate publicity by the district administration.

Mr. Kadamba notes that the accusation that buffaloes are whipped during the race is not true as the people taking part in the race are educated by the organisers against flogging the animals.

B. Nagaraja Shetty, Bantwal MLA, says that the buffaloes are taken good care of and that each owner spends a fortune on them. Each family spends not less than Rs. 10,000 a month to look after the buffaloes, he adds.

In the today's race, Hosabettu Yerimaru Gopalakrishna Bhat secured the first prize and Madhanthyaru Maladi Vasanth Salian the second prize in the "Hagga Kiriya" category.

In the "Hagga Hiriya" category, Kondana Pragathi Bandhu team secured the first prize while Nagaraja Shetty got the second prize.

In the "Kanahalage" category, Permude Bhujanga Shetty got the first prize and Gurupura Guruappa Poojary secured the second.

Kadri Navaneeth Shetty, an organisers of the kambala, says that "Thappangayi," "Kesaru Gadde Ota" and "tug-of-war" have been organised this year to attract more people.

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