When was Kambala held in Bengaluru?
A Kambala event took place in Bengaluru for the first time last weekend. Kambala is a traditional sport played in the coastal region of Karnataka. The goal of the event was to make Kambala popular in the city and also to help in the conservation of the Indian buffalo breed.
Many buffaloes and jockeys joined in, and lots of people came to watch. The buffaloes were brought from different places in Karnataka, like Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
What do we know about Kambala?
Kambala is a buffalo race sport event that is held in Karnataka’s coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, etc., and Kasargod in Kerala. It happens in muddy rice fields, and the buffaloes run with their jockeys, who use whips to control them.
The Supreme Court (SC) of India once banned Kambala.
Why was Kambala banned?
Some groups started a petition against hurting animals in traditional sports like Kambala. They said that during Kambala, the buffaloes' noses are tied with ropes, and the animals are beaten during the race. This hurts the animals.
So, the SC banned Kambala in 2014. Later, the ban on Kambala was removed.
When was Kambala unbanned?
The Kambala festival was unbanned in 2017 as it is a traditional sport. The court said that farmers should find ways to make sure buffaloes don't feel too much pain and shouldn't use whips on them.
