While the nationwide lockdown has been extended to 3 May and more stringent measures are being enforced by state governments, thousands of people in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai took to the streets to join a long procession for the funeral of a bull.
The jallikattu-cum-temple bull in a village in Alanganallur in Madurai breathed its last on 12 April. While the state governments have insisted to keep funerals a low-key affair with less than 10 close relatives, the villagers wanted to pay their respects to their favourite bull with grandeur.
Bulls in Alanganallur and other villages such as Palamedu, Avaniapuram are highly revered and seen as the pride of the land.
Thousands had gathered at the funeral and the owners of the bull were inconsolable.
Madurai District Collector TG Vinay told that 3,000 people who were part of the procession have been booked for violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and social distancing norms, reported news agency ANI.
The Palamedu police, under whose jurisdiction the village fell under, said that only 20 people were part of the gathering which took place on 12 April, reported The News Minute.
The Quint reached out to the District Collector who was unavailable for comment.
Every year, Jallikattu, the bull-taming festival is conducted and the prized bull is showered with presents and treats. The villagers said that this bull was like a deity to them and they wanted to give it the farewell it deserved.
Madurai has recorded over 41 COVID-19 positive cases, as on 15 April. Tamil Nadu has reported a total of 1,242 coronavirus cases, with 12 deaths.
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