During an urgent hearing on Monday(21st Oct), Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa presented the public interest litigation (PIL) to a Bench led by Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind.
Karnataka: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has petitioned the Karnataka High Court to stay the Kambala bullock race event scheduled for October 25 in Bengaluru.
During an urgent hearing on Monday(21st Oct), Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa presented the public interest litigation (PIL) to a Bench led by Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind.
Chinnappa argued that the event, traditionally held in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, will bring bullocks from across the state to Bengaluru.
“This event is extremely cruel to animals,”
Chinnappa stated in court.
PETA noted that it filed the PIL in July but had not been able to get it listed until now, prompting the request for an urgent hearing.
The court has scheduled the matter for discussion tomorrow.
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Chinnappa is representing PETA through Keystone Partners.
In May of last year, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld state laws permitting Jallikattu, Kambala, and bull cart racing in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. PETA had subsequently filed a review petition against this ruling in the Supreme Court.
What is the Kambala Festival?
The Kambala Festival is a vibrant and unique celebration held in the coastal regions of Karnataka, India. Deeply embedded in the local farming culture, it is also referred to as “Devara Kambala” or “God’s Kambala,” due to its association with the Manjunatha Temple in Kadri, Mangalore.
Most popular in Mangalore and other southern coastal areas, as well as remote villages of Karnataka, the Kambala Festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in districts such as Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The festivities feature a grand procession with over 150 pairs of buffalos, meticulously groomed for the occasion.
The festival holds significant cultural and spiritual value, beginning with prayers to Lord Shiva at the Kadri Manjunatha Temple. It culminates in the well-known buffalo race, a distinctive sport cherished by the farming community in Karnataka.
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