Kambala

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Famed Kambala Race of Kadri, Mangalore Kadri Kambala.jpg
Famed Kambala Race of Kadri, Mangalore
A Kambala Race at Pilikula Nisargadhama Kambala1.jpg
A Kambala Race at Pilikula Nisargadhama

The Kambala, Kambla or Kambula 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 of Karnataka and Kasaragod of Kerala, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.

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The Kambala season generally starts in November and lasts until March. The Kambalas are organized 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.

Kambala, race at Vandaru village, Udupi district, India Kambala, he-buffalo race at Vandar village, Udupi Dist., Kar. India.jpg
Kambala, race at Vandaru village, Udupi district, India

Etymology

Kambala is derived from 'kampa-kala', where the word 'Kampa' is related slushy, muddy field. The Dravidian origin of the word Kampa is kan+pa and 'kala' means field, where it is conducted. Another interpretation of modern Kambala is derived from 'Kamba', a pole used for water spurt during race by buffalo pairs. [1]

Format

Puttur Koti - Chennaya Kambula Buffalo Race, Coastal Karnataka, Puttur Koti - Chennaya Kambula.jpg
Puttur Koti - Chennaya Kambula

Kambala is a sport. [2] The Kambala racetrack is a slushy paddy field, [3] and the buffaloes are driven by a whip-lashing farmer. [4]

Traditional Kambala was non-competitive, and the pair was run one by one. In modern Kambala, the contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes. In villages such as Vandaro and Choradi, there is also a ritualistic aspect, as farmers race their buffaloes to give thanks for protecting them from diseases.

Historically, the winning pair of buffaloes was rewarded with coconuts and bananas. Today, winning owners earn gold and silver coins. [5] Some organising committees award an eight-gram gold coin to the winner. [6] In some competitions, cash prizes are awarded.

Decoration of Buffalo

The buffaloes are decorated with coloured jhūls and head-pieces made of brass and silver (sometimes bearing the emblems of the sun and moon), and ropes which make a sort of bridle. The special towel used to cover the buffalo's back is called the paavade (Tulu:ಪಾವಡೆ).

Types of Kambalas

Traditionally, there were types of Kambalas

  1. Pookere Kambala
  2. Baare Kambla
  3. Kori Kambala
  4. Arasu Kambla
  5. Devere Kambla [7]
  6. Baale Kambala

Kori Kambla

Kori Kambla is a distinct agriculture-based celebration in Tulunadu. This refers to a kind of collective ploughing and planting on a fixed day for the enelu (Tulu: ಏಣೆಲ್) cultivation. A general race of buffaloes is known as kori (kandoe korune)[1] Kambala.

Bale Kambla

The celebration of Bale Kambala was discontinued about 900 years ago. Bale means baby. During Small kambala, the small-scale farmers prepare their field for paddy cultivation.

Natha Pantha

The kambla influenced by Natha pantha, [8] in earlier days, the Kambla starts previous day evening with tradition dance of Koraga communities mostly by men. They performing full night with following all Panchamakara madya (Alcohol), māṃsa (Meat), matsya (Fish), mudrā (Gesture), maithuna (Sexual). The Koragas were sit up through the night before the Kambla day, performing a ceremony called panikkuluni, the meaning of word sitting under the dew. They sing songs to the accompaniment of their special kind of band dudi, about their special spirit daiva Nīcha, and offer toddy and a rice-pudding boiled in a large earthen pot, which is broken so that the pudding remains as a solid mass. This pudding is called kandēl addyē, or pot pudding. [9]

Innovations

Kambala has become an organised rural sport, with elaborate planning and scheduling to accommodate competitions at different places. [10] A "Kambala Committee" arranges races in several categories describing the outfitting of the buffaloes. Typical categories are:

Kambala draws large rural crowds, as it has done for the last three hundred years. [13] People bet on the buffaloes, and one can witness more than 20,000 spectators in a well-organised Kambala, egging on and cheering the buffaloes to complete the race.

In some places, night races are arranged under floodlights. [6]

The buffaloes developed for the race are carefully fed and some owners have even built separate swimming pools for competing buffaloes. [14]

Thonnase Kambala

Thonnase Kambala used to be held in the month of December every year at Thonnase, Hebri taluk, Udupi district and it is called Dēvara Sampradayika Kambala as it is associated with Sri Dhoomavathi, Sri Gopalakrishna and Swami Parivara in the village.

Kadri Kambala

Kadri Kambala used to be held at Kadri, Mangalore and it is called Dēvere Kambla (God's Kambala) as it is associated with Sri Manjunatha Temple in that city. [10] This event was patronised by the Alupa kings of Mangalore, 300 years ago. For this reason, Kadri Kambala is also known as Arasu Kambala (King's Kambala). [10]

Many have criticised Kambala as cruel to the racing buffaloes, which are driven by whips. [15] Noted animal-rights activist Maneka Gandhi expressed concerns about the ill treatment of buffaloes during the race. While Kambala organizers contend that whips are necessary to elicit maximum speed, government officials advise the riders to be gentle on buffaloes and avoid using whips during the race. [15]

In 2014, based on lawsuits filed by animal welfare organizations, the Supreme Court of India ordered a ban on Kambala. The ban also covered Jallikattu, a sport of hands-on bull taming. A government order lifted the ban on Jallikattu in January 2017, [16] and the public asked for the ban on Kambala to be lifted, too. [17]

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 [18] re-legalized the Kambala festival in Karnataka. [19] Then-President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, promulgated the new law on 3 July 2017. Litigation continued but was resolved by the passage of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2018, which then-President Ram Nath Kovind approved on 19 February 2018. [20]

However, after the relegalization, it was found that the buffaloes were still being whipped during the race. [21]

Schedule

Town/VillageTalukDate of KambalaAppx. pairsImageRemarks
Kadri Mangalore December Kadri Kambala.jpg Competitive race / Much famed
Vandaru Kundapura December300 Kambala, he-buffalo race at Vandar village, Udupi Dist., Kar. India.jpg Non competitive race
Thonnase Hebri December100Non competitive race
Pilikula [5] Mangalore December/January150 [22] Kambala1.jpg Competitive race
Choradi Kundapura December150Non competitive rural sport
Gulvadi Kundapura December200Non competitive rural sport
Baradi beedu Karkala DecemberCompetitive race
Venur PermudaBelthangadiDecember
Moodabidri MangaloreDecemberCompetitive race
Miyar KarkalaJanuaryLava Kusa Jodukere Kambala.
Katapadi beeduUdupiJanuaryCompetitive race
Aikala BavaMangaloreFebruaryCompetitive race
Adve, NandikurUdupiJanuaryCompetitive race
PajirBantwalaFebruary
YeeduKarkalaFebruary
Puttur PutturMarch
Jappina Mogaru [6] MangaloreMarch [6] 150 [6]
Uppinangadi PutturMarch
Bangadi KolliBelthangadiMarch
Thalapady PanjalaMangaloreMarch/April
AltharUdupiMarch/April
Parika AramaneUdupiNovember/December
Hokkadi goli BantwalaDecember
HandadiUdupiDecember
Vaddambettu [23] UdupiDecember [23]
Ajri [24] UdupiDecember
Mulki seemeMangaloreDecemberCompetitive race

Kambala 2023-24

This is the calendar for Kambala 2023-24.

NameDateLocation
Kakyapadavu Kambala18 November, 2023Kakyapadavu, Bantwala, Mangalore
Bengaluru Kambala25 November, 2023Palace Grounds, Bengaluru
Moodubidire Kambala2 December, 2023Moodubidire, Mangalore
Baaradi Kambala9 December, 2023Baaradi beedu, Karkala, Udupi
Naringana Kambala17 December, 2023Naringana , Bantwala(Near Deralakatte)
Mulki Arasu Kambala24 December, 2023Mulki Arasu, Mangalore
Mangalore Kambala30 December, 2023Mangalore Bangrakooluru
Miyaru Kambala6 January, 2024Miyaru, Karkala, Udupi
Ballamanja Kambala7 January, 2024Ballamanja
Hokkadigoli Kambala13 January, 2024Hokkadigoli, near Venoor, Mangalore
Adve Kambala20 January, 2024Adve Nandikooru, Padubidri, Udupi
Putturu Kambala27 January, 2024Putturu, Mangalore
Aikala Kambala3 February, 2024Aikala, Kinnigoli, Mangalore
Jeppu Kambala10 February, 2024Jeppu(Jeppina Mogaru), Mangalore
Vamanjoor Kambala17 February, 2024Vamanjoor, Mangalore
Katapadi Kambala24 February, 2024Katapadi, Udupi
Bantwala Kambala2 March, 2024Bantwala, Mangalore
Bangadi Kambala9 March, 2024Bangadi, Belthangady, Mangalore
Venur Kambala16 March, 2024Venur, Karkala, Udupi
Uppinangadi Kambala23 March, 2024Uppinangadi, Mangalore
Panapila Kambala30 March, 2024Panapila, Mangalore
Balkunje Kambala6 April, 2024Balkunje, Mangalore
Gurupura Kambala13 April, 2024Gurupura, Mangalore

See also

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