Deferred village bull sport draws huge crowd in Rangampeta

TIRUPATI: What began as a long-postponed village tradition turned into a charged spectacle on Wednesday as Arepalle Rangampeta, near Tirupati, hosted its annual bull-taming contest, drawing massive crowds from across southern India.

Usually staged as part of Kanuma, the concluding day of Sankranti festivities, the event had been put on hold earlier this year following the death of two villagers due to ill health. With the community later deciding to go ahead, the competition unfolded amid heightened emotion, cultural fervour and intense public participation.

The narrow lanes of Rangampeta overflowed with spectators as thousands poured in to watch the contest, while participants arrived not only from neighbouring villages but also from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana. The village wore a festive look, with drums, cheering crowds and a palpable sense of anticipation transforming the rural settlement into a bustling arena of tradition.

Though often compared to Tamil Nadu’s Jallikattu, the Rangampeta version follows a distinct format. Bulls, decorated with ornaments, are released into the streets with wooden planks tied to their horns, some embedded with small gold or silver tokens. Contestants race to seize these planks while dodging the animals’ forceful charges, a challenge that frequently results in injuries and near misses.

Despite the obvious risks involved, law enforcement agencies have chosen not to step in. While police are empowered to regulate or prohibit hazardous sporting events, officials reportedly stayed away from intervention, citing fears of unrest and political sensitivities.