S Anantha Kumar, 27, from Chemmedu, 35km from here, is making his way to an event of near mythical proportions. He has come with the requisite baggage - a cock belonging to the 'kahavallur' tribe that is larger than his torso. As he takes a turn on the winding road, the large field suddenly become visible. On the field are parked over 2,000 bikes and 100 cars. On the field are over 200 others like him-- with cocks, many of them fed on a rich diet over the last few months in anticipation of this event.
Welcome to the first legal cockfight staged in Nathegoundanputhur near Coimbatore in over a decade. Sources confided privately that many illegal fights have happened in the meantime, each one followed by a police crackdown. "Lakhs of rupees are involved in these fights," said an anonymous caller over phone. He refused to divulge his identity, but even as the TOI team watched the contest, wagers for thousands of rupees were being made over each fight.
The whole machinery rests on a simple, seemingly fickle instinct between two cocks to find out which is the best one.
The fights at Nathegoundanputhur date back to the Chera-Chola-Pandya era when such cockfights were royal events. Says V V Palanisamy, "The cocks are fed a rich diet of ragi, cumbum and kondakadalai. After six months of this diet, they are also given grains and coconuts." Palanisamy, who is from nearby Vellakinaru, is 68 and owns 20 cocks. He should know. "Events such as these happened even in the time of Agasthiyar according to the Panchapakshi Sashtram," he said.
In the modern era, especially in recent times, the cockfights were banned as they were deemed to hurt the birds. But V M Kathirvel got the Madras high court to permit the cockfight on the grounds that it is a tradition that should not be abandoned. Putting several checks and balances in place, the HC then permitted the cockfight under the watchful eyes of the police. Over 20 police personnel were at the event to keep peace. "Nothing untoward has happened so far," said A K Thangapandian, inspector of police, Alanthurai. He ruled out the possibility of blades being attached to the legs of the birds to give the event a dangerous edge.
Sunday is the last day of the four-day event. 200 cocks are fielded every day. The health of the birds is determined by a doctor, who is present at the venue as directed by the Madras HC.
N M Shanmuga Sundaram, who is holding the event in the field belonging to his nephew. "There is no entrance fee. I am just doing this for fun. We are glad to have a tremendous response," he said.
He was right. All roads led to Nathegoundanputhur on Saturday.
Welcome to the first legal cockfight staged in Nathegoundanputhur near Coimbatore in over a decade. Sources confided privately that many illegal fights have happened in the meantime, each one followed by a police crackdown. "Lakhs of rupees are involved in these fights," said an anonymous caller over phone. He refused to divulge his identity, but even as the TOI team watched the contest, wagers for thousands of rupees were being made over each fight.
The whole machinery rests on a simple, seemingly fickle instinct between two cocks to find out which is the best one.
The fights at Nathegoundanputhur date back to the Chera-Chola-Pandya era when such cockfights were royal events. Says V V Palanisamy, "The cocks are fed a rich diet of ragi, cumbum and kondakadalai. After six months of this diet, they are also given grains and coconuts." Palanisamy, who is from nearby Vellakinaru, is 68 and owns 20 cocks. He should know. "Events such as these happened even in the time of Agasthiyar according to the Panchapakshi Sashtram," he said.
In the modern era, especially in recent times, the cockfights were banned as they were deemed to hurt the birds. But V M Kathirvel got the Madras high court to permit the cockfight on the grounds that it is a tradition that should not be abandoned. Putting several checks and balances in place, the HC then permitted the cockfight under the watchful eyes of the police. Over 20 police personnel were at the event to keep peace. "Nothing untoward has happened so far," said A K Thangapandian, inspector of police, Alanthurai. He ruled out the possibility of blades being attached to the legs of the birds to give the event a dangerous edge.
Sunday is the last day of the four-day event. 200 cocks are fielded every day. The health of the birds is determined by a doctor, who is present at the venue as directed by the Madras HC.
N M Shanmuga Sundaram, who is holding the event in the field belonging to his nephew. "There is no entrance fee. I am just doing this for fun. We are glad to have a tremendous response," he said.
He was right. All roads led to Nathegoundanputhur on Saturday.
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