BENGALURU: Kambala, a popular buffalo racing contest in the coastal Karnataka region, kicked off for the first time in Bengaluru on Saturday. The two-day folk sport is being held in the heart of the city at Palace Grounds on November 25 and 26.
The event has been organised by the Tulu Koota, Bengaluru, and buffalo racing teams from across coastal Karnataka have arrived in Bengaluru. Around 175 pairs of buffaloes are participating in the two-day event, which commenced on November 25.
“The stage is set for ‘Kambala,’ the buffalo race on a mud track from coastal Karnataka. It is happening for the first time in Bengaluru on November 25 and 26 at the Palace Grounds,” the organisers of the event said on Wednesday. Along with ‘Kambala,’ the organisers decided to recreate the entire coastal Karnataka ‘culture’ in the state capital during the event.
As per the Kambala committee, more than 150 food stalls, yakshagana (traditional theatre) and many other stalls have been set up at the event to attract people. Yakshagana is a traditional dance-drama art form that originated in the coastal districts of Karnataka. The name comes from the words Yaksha (celestial) and Gana (music).
Kambala is derived from ‘kampa-kala’, where the word ‘Kampa’ is related to a slushy, muddy field. The buffaloes are decorated with coloured headpieces made of brass and silver (sometimes bearing the emblems of the Sun and Moon) and ropes that make a sort of bridle.
Kambala or Kambla, is an annual buffalo race held in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka. Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka and Kasaragod in Kerala.
The Kambala season generally starts in November and lasts until March. The Kambalas are organised through Kambala samithis (Kambala Associations), of which there are currently 18. Over 45 races are held annually in coastal Karnataka, including smaller remote villages such as Vandaru, Thonnase and Gulvadi. (ANI)