The “stadium” was a large, flat piece of land carved out of
a hill. The “seats” were terrace fields that rose step-by-step in a semi-circle
around the stadium. The packed stadium seemed no different from ancient Greek
amphitheatres in which gladiators fought. But those who fought in the arena were
no humans. In Taruka of Nuwakot, it is a tradition to hold bullfights on Makar
Sankranti.
The bulls
This year, 20 pairs of bulls fought in the tournament. Adolescent
bulls (3-10 years old) are considered best for fighting. “They are fed rice,
soybean, millet, and black lentils,” says Ghanashyam Adhikari, a resident of
Taruka who has observed the bullfights since his childhood. After their
fighting age, they plough the fields like any other bulls.
When a bull is led to the arena, it immediately shows
aggressive behavior. Some gore the surrounding walls, sending those sitting
directly on top scrambling. Some stamp the floor and bellow loudly. Locals have
interesting terms for these behaviors, words outside of everyday use which
shows their intimate relationship with bulls.
The fight
Locals credit the natural aggression of bulls to the fact
that when you lead two bulls into the arena, they inevitably fight. “In fact,
the term Malla Yuddha, or wrestling, itself comes from fighting animals. Only
later did humans term themselves Malla to highlight their aggression,” says
historian Gyan Mani Nepal. No red cloths are needed, for example in bullfights
of Spain, to stimulate them.
But how a bull fights depends on the individual bull. Some
bulls get excited by crowds and become more aggressive. Some bulls are cowed by
the same sight and run away. But usually, two bulls ram at each other, lock
horns, and try to push each other back with their foreheads.
When one bull edges the other out of the arena, the fight is
considered over. Some fights end decisively in moments while in others, the
bulls idly lock horns for several minutes on end. The losing bull starts giving
signs like backing out, taking blows on the neck instead of on the forehead,
and finally turning tail. The defeated bull often becomes reckless and causes
mayhem among groups near the arena. This year, one bull ran right into the
spectators surrounding the stage, and they ran helter-skelter, most people
climbing onto the stage. When the mayhem died down, it was found that the
plywood stage had broken off in one part.
History of bullfights
The strength of bulls is important in an agrarian society
like Nepal, where much farming depends on bulls and plough oxen. “The bull
owner’s superiority and capacity to nurture healthy cattle is proved when his
bull wins,” says Arjun Adhikari, a local resident. This leads to the bull’s
price rising and owner’s reputation growing.
Traditionally, bullfight was a purely local affair. Any two
owners with bulls would informally wrestle their bulls near their homes. But
with time, the bullfights gained notice as well as support from the government.
An organizer’s committee of bull owners was formed in 2006. For the past few
years, tournaments have been held on a grand scale at Taruka, despite a glitch
last year when two tournaments were held due to political division in the organizers’
committee.
Locals have it that when the Bajhangi King Jay Prithvi Bahadur
Singh visited Nuwakot, a bullfight was arranged to entertain him, and the
tradition stuck. But bullfights are, by many accounts, much older. Such fights are
held in other areas of Nepal, including Betrawati of Rasuwa, on a smaller
scale, and in many parts of India on a larger scale. Jallikattu or bull taming
festival of Tamil Nadu is perhaps the most famous of them. All these are held
on Makar Sankranti. These point to a pan-Hindu origin of the festival.
Gyan Mani Nepal agrees that bullfights are an ancient means
of entertainment. “Bulls, rams, roosters, fights of all these are held on Makar
Sankranti,” says Nepal. “Even men wrestle on the day.” According to Nepal,
inscriptions about bullfighting have been found since the Lichhavi age, or
1,500-1,600 years ago. Records speak of Licchavi rulers collecting tax for
bullfights. Later, records are also found of Rana Bahadur Shah holding grand
bullfights in Kathmandu’s Basantapur, going to the length of acquiring special
breeds from Andhra Pradesh.
Makar Sankranti came to be a natural choice partly because
of the weather: the end of winter signals the beginning of spring, a time of
fun and frolic. The sky is clear but not too hot, perfect temperature for
outdoor sports. The end of harvests means that people are free of the cares,
and have plenty to eat. “Pushma paak, Maaghma khaak” (‘You cook in [the month
of] Paush, you eat in Magh’) is a proverb that describes this phenomenon,
according to Bhawanth Adhikari, another resident of Taruka. At this time, the
fields are barren, which provide the venue. Not to forget, Makar Sankranti is a
time for family reunion and social networking, and bullfights are hubs of such processes.
Future of bullfights
Toyanath Dhakal, a bull owner who regularly enters his bull
into competitions, spends about Rs. 10-15,000 every year on bulls. “I feel
happy if my bull wins, and also when it doesn’t,” says Dhakal. “The point is to
enjoy the fight.” Recently, animal rights activities raised concerns about
cruelty and called for an end to the fights. “But that’ll never happen,” claims
Dhakal. “It’s our culture, and people here will continue to uphold it. Last
year, there had been attempts to take it to Kathmandu, and it failed. Well,
that’s Kathmandu. But over here, no one can change what the locals own,” Dhakal
concluded.
The fights may go on forever, but changing times have had an
impact on how they are viewed. “This is after all a capitalist exercise,” says Bhawanath.
“Only the rich have enough capital to invest on fighting bulls.” Indeed, the
bulls are fed rice when sometimes rice may be scarce even for humans. Perhaps
this view is unknowingly echoed by a Narsingha (horn) player who played at the
games. “I don’t care much for the fight, I’m just a musician. Weddings,
bullfights, festivals, they are all the same to me,” he said.
Reforms
No matter what critics say, the bullfights seem set to stay.
This year the festival was more organized than ever. Registrations were held
beforehand, and attempts made to publicize the tournament, attract internal
tourists, and make the fights safer. Volunteers ringed the arena, pushing
people back from the bulls. There were facilities like snack and drink stalls,
and the organizing committee were responsive to suggestions, like addition of
toilets.
Panchai Baja (folk quintet) greeted guests like politician Ramsharan
Mahat, and was played at intervals. Local bhajans were also included. Also,
organizers gave information about the nature and history of the fights from
time to time, which are all modern additions.
Previously, it was not uncommon for bull owners to rub
alcohol on the bull’s hump, hoping to make the other bull balk and lose. There
were rumors that some bulls were given alcohol to make them reckless. But such
practices are banned now, and strictly monitored by the committee. Injuries on
bulls and people can also happen, Arjun recalls a time when a bull went crazy
and 4-5 locals had to jump and hold him by the horns. Today the committee pays
compensation for unexpected injuries. This is beside the Rs. 1,000 given to the
winner and Rs. 500 to every participant in the tournament.
With all these improvements and heightened publicity, the
bullfight has truly become the identity of Taruka. In future, it has the
potential to replace the bloodier Spanish bullfights in the popular imagination
of Nepalis. One day it may even become the “pride of Nepal,” as the people of
Taruka hope.
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