The Kambala season in the coastal Karnataka is under way. The annual buffalo race is a popular event in the state which attracts tourists, locals and photographers alike. The Karnataka Tourism Department has already released a schedule of events between November 2022 and April 2023.
What is Kambala?
Kambala is an annual festival in the farming belts of Karnataka. It is celebrated during the winter, when contestants along with their trained buffaloes, race in the muddy fields. The racing events are usually organised between November and April.
The race
The Kambala race is performed on two parallel racetracks, filled with mud and water. In the event, buffaloes are raced in pairs and are held together with ploughs and ropes.
The jockey or Kambala runner is the man commanding the buffaloes with a whip or ropes.
In the race, teams of buffaloes along with their jockey sprint towards the finish line on the two parallel racetracks. The winners qualify for next rounds until the final race. Prizes for entertaining the crowd by splashing the water to the highest target are also given.
The buffaloes
The buffalo owners and farmers in the region take great care of their animals and the best of Kambala buffaloes can cover a 140-m racetrack in less than 12 seconds.
The Supreme Court of India has issued guidelines to ensure Kambala buffaloes are not harmed, tortured, or ill-treated. Over 45 different villages in coastal Karnataka celebrate Kambala. The event is held in Mangaluru, Udupi, Moodabidire and other towns after the paddy harvest season.
This year’s schedule of upcoming Kambala events:
December 17 at Hokkadigoli.
December 18 at Ballamanja.
December 24 at Moodabidri.
December 31 at Mulki Arasu.
January 7 at Miyar.
January 15 at Adve Nadikoor.
January 22 at Mangaluru Bangrakulur.
January 28 at Aikalabava.
February 4 at Puttur.
February 11 at Vamanjoor.
February 18 at Katapadi.
February 25 at Jappu.
March 4 at Navoor.
March 11 at Uppinangady.
March 18-25 at Bangadi Paivalike.
April 1-8 at Surathkal Panapila.
Notable past events
In 2020, buffalo racer Srinivas Gowda ran 142.5 metres in 13.62 seconds behind two buffaloes, setting a record in the annual race.
This equated to running 100 metres in 9.55 seconds, which was better than Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds, as per a Livemint report. Gowda, a construction worker gained fame for his record and was invited by the sports minister to take part in track trials. The Union Sports Ministry also helped Gowda to get professional help to take part in the trials.
