Bull Surfing in Kerala
Bull surfing is an old and obscure cultural practice. This underlines the man-animal relationship. It is a part of the Maramadi Festival in Kerala, South India
Surfing is all about the sea, water, pristine nature and a single person’s effort to control and ride the waves, right? Yes, but not always.
Think muddy paddy fields, oxen and danger. This is Kerala, around the Onam festival. It is about man versus animal, a Kerala-style rodeo, with danger, skill and testosterone-charged action. Some folks have called this the “dirtiest form of rodeo known to man”… 😉
The Maramadi Festival
This is the Maramadi festival of bull-surfing, a sport that takes place in the southern Indian state of Kerala typically in August-September, the post-harvest season.
The Race
The race is simple. One surfer runs the race at a time. A pair of yoked bulls charge down a paddy field in ankle-deep water. The surfer is on a wooden plank behind them, “surfing”. He/ she hangs on to a harness or the bull’s tail. A team assists the surfer. One team for the race consists of 3 persons – a surfer and 2 assistants. The winning team is the one who takes the least amount of time to complete one lap of the field. Sometimes, the winner is decided after several rounds.
The bulls are typically fed and trained just for this competition. The participant “surfers” are also well-trained in the sport. They start with training on handling the bulls. The villagers stay a safe distance away and chant and cheer for their favorites. Emotions and tempers run fairly high, much like a boxing or football match back home.
Seeing the Maramadi Festival and Bull Surfing
Many such races happen in the post-harvest season across the region. Local clubs and villages organize their own competitions. The village of Anandapally near Adoor city in Pathanamthitta district of southern Kerala hosts the most famous race in this festival.
These places are accessible by road from Kochi. Kochi is well-connected with major cities in India and the World. Air, train and road options are plenty.
In case you wish to visit Kerala in India during this festival, click here.
Do ancient burial sites interest you? Read more on the unique KudaKkallu in Kerala.
For more such off-the-beaten track sights in India and the rest of the World, visit Beyonder Travel.
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