Karnataka - Mangalore   

Kadri comes alive with ‘Kambala', fair

DAREDEVILRY:‘Kambala' in progress at Kadri in Mangalore on Sunday.

MANGALORE: Mangalore blends the modern with the traditional. An example of it was on display at the slushy field near Manjunatha temple at Kadri during the “Kambala”.

The morning session consisted of water sports such as races and tug-of-war for children, men and women. In the afternoon, the much-awaited buffalo races were conducted.

Without doubt, the buffaloes were the stars of the show. Throughout the morning, pairs of buffaloes appeared at the venue, escorted by their drivers. The buffaloes were from places around Mangalore such as Moodbidri, Talapady and Mundkur. They had been washed and adorned with leaves and tinsel. Before being sent into the field, they were first worshipped at the home of Navaneeth and Bhaskar Shetty, sons of the late Balakrishna Shetty, who belonged to the Kadri “Guthu” family.

As soon as each pair of buffaloes appeared, the cheerleaders, consisting of drummers and persons playing various musical instruments, welcomed them noting their arrival.

The pairs of buffaloes plunged into the slush and were made to run the entire length of the field, along with one accompanying the driver. It was clearly a challenge for the beast and its master. As they emerged out of the field, which had slush up to the knees, the crowd parted to allow the buffaloes their way. They were immediately cooled down with showers of water. Rajesh, who works in Mangalore, has been visiting the event for the past 30 years.

Fighting for Kambala

It has not been an easy task to continue holding the event, said Dinesh J. Gollerkeri, advocate and secretary of the Kadri Kambala Samiti.

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