The Kambala season is here in coastal Karnataka and buffaloes (and their ‘runners’) are back race tracks to participate in this traditional event. The Karnataka Tourism Department has already released a schedule of events for December.
What is Kambala?
Kambala is a buffalo race held in the winter months when farmers harvest their paddy crops. The race is held on two parallel tracks filled with mud and water. Each pair of buffaloes will also have a jockey, or ‘Kambala runner’ to control and command the animals on the track.
The team that wins qualifies for higher rounds till a champion emerges.
Apart from winning the race, targets also include splashing water; in fact, some winners are even declared on amount of water splashed; this is called ‘kolu’.
Winning a Kambala race is seen as big prize and the buffaloes that race are given special treatment throughout the year.
Also Read – Ordinance on Kambala can be brought if necessary, says Karnataka chief minister
In February 2020, a ‘runner’ named Srinivas Gowda made headlines after he (and his buffaloes) reportedly ran 142.5 meters in just 13.62 seconds.
The union sports ministry even invited him to the Sports Academy of India (SAI) headquarters in Delhi to conduct trials for international sporting events.
Kambala has also made headlines this year thanks to the success of Rishab Shetty and Saptami Gowda’s blockbuster film ‘Kantara’.
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