Chennai, Jan 10 Even as jallikattu events have begun across the delta districts and other parts of Tamil Nadu, a section of bull owners and jallikattu enthusiasts have raised serious concerns over what they describe as an opaque and subjective system for issuing tokens and permissions for bulls to participate in the sport.
Owners allege that the selection process at major venues such as Alanganallur, Palamedu and Avaniyapuram in Madurai lacks transparency and scientific evaluation.
According to them, officials responsible for approving bulls rely largely on subjective judgment rather than objective criteria to determine whether a bull has the physical ability, agility or temperament required for jallikattu.
As a result, bulls that are not capable of performing effectively are also permitted to enter the arena, they claim.
Sources from the State Animal Welfare Board said that veterinary officials and revenue authorities are primarily tasked with ensuring that no cruelty is inflicted on animals and that the bulls are medically fit.
“There is no mechanism to assess a bull’s ability to perform or succeed in jallikattu,” a senior official said.
Bull owners must register their animals on the official portal, ahd.tn.gov.in/jallikattu, to obtain tokens and approval for participation.
On average, between 1,000 and 2,000 bulls are registered for each event held in districts such as Madurai, Pudukkottai, Tiruchy and Sivaganga.
Tiruchy-based jallikattu activist M.P. Periyasamy of Jallikattu Meetpu Kazhagam said that despite high registration numbers, only about 600 to 700 bulls are eventually allowed to participate in Madurai events.
He alleged that approvals are granted by tahsildars under the respective district collectors and are largely based on subjective assessments rather than transparent standards.
Madurai-based bull owner S Santhana Pandiyan claimed that political influence plays a role in getting permissions at prominent venues.
“Many owners spend years rearing bulls exclusively for jallikattu, but are denied approval. Several such owners were eventually forced to sell their bulls,” he said.
Officials said that as per the Standard Operating Procedure, jallikattu events should be conducted only between 6 am and 2 pm, during which a maximum of 400 bulls can be permitted. However, due to pressure from local communities, permissions are often extended to allow 600 to 700 bulls.
“Based on feedback from stakeholders, the matter will be examined,” an official said.
In 2025, Tamil Nadu hosted 352 events, including jallikattu, Eruthu Vidum Vizha and Manju Virattu, across 19 districts, involving around 1.14 lakh bulls. This marked a significant increase compared to 214 such events held in 2024.
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