What Is Kambala? Here¡¯s Everything You Need To Know About Racing With Buffaloes

Srinivasa Gowda, a traditional buffalo jockey became an overnight sensation after he won a 145-metre race in just 13.62 seconds. The win got him a lot of recognition from the country and a lot of appreciation for his achievement. But what is Kambala race? Here is everything you need to know:

What is Kambala Race?

Wikipedia

Kambala is an annual festival, this buffalo race which is a tradition in Karantaka¡¯s Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts¡¯ farming community. The place is called Tulunadu.

In this race, a pair of buffalo are tied to the plough and one person supports it, beating the buffaloes with a stick to make them run faster. The run has two parallel running tracks, on which two competing pairs of buffaloes run. The results are announced according to who runs faster.

The festival begins with a ceremony and a parade of the participants (farmers) along with their buffaloes. The racing tracks are measured around 120 to 160 metres in length and 8 to 12 metres in width. Tracks are ploughed into a muddy field that is made a little runny with water. The Buffalo race will continue overnight as well at different levels and the grand finale of the race is held to determine the winner of the Kambala race of that particular area.

Where and when Kambala originated?

Wikipedia

Kambala happens in the coastal region of Karnataka, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi districts and bordering area of Kerela.

This happens as an annual event starts in November and lasts until March every year. Kambala race is an age old festival which is organized on a large scale and a number of people gather to participate in the celebrations.

The belief around this is Kambala is a festival that originated in the farmers community of Karnataka around 800 years back. The festival is purely dedicated to Kadri's God Manjunatha, who was an incarnation of Lord Shiva. It is believed that the celebrations happens to please the Gods for good harvest. It is a form of sports for the farmers community and also another belief is that it is considered as the sports of the royal family.

After winning this difficult race, the winners were awarded with coconut but now they are given gold medals and other items.

Categories of Kambala:

There are four categories of this race:

Negilu: Lighter plough are made especially for kambala and are tied to the buffaloes. This is an entry level category.

Hagga: In this category the rope is tied to the buffaloes.

Adda Halage: Horizontal planks are tied to the buffaloes and the farmers stand over the plank during the entire race.

Kane Halage: In this category, a rounded wooden plank is tied to buffaloes. Farmers stand on the wooden plank on one leg. It also has two holes through which water gushes out while running. In this the height of muddy water splashed will determine the winner. This is the most difficult Kambala race and most experienced buffaloes and the runners take part.

Where is mostly Kambala held:

Wikipedia

Mangalore is considered one of the places where Kambala is celebrated in a huge manner.

Other areas include, Manjeshwara, Bajagoli, Baradi Beedu, Bolantur, Kolatta Majalu, Puttur, Uppinagadi, Kakyapadavu and more.

Safety and Care of the Buffaloes:

Accidents can happen during the race, buffaloes can skid. The farmers who run along with the buffaloes can also get injured during the race so an ambulance is kept ready for them.

In terms of care, the buffaloes are well fed and cared for as there is a speed and swiftness test.