Bull fighting and India

[Bubbles]

Given the cow is supposed to be sacred, how's that work then?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-38919920

I wouldn't have thought bull fighting existed in India 

I realise it's a big country, but the culture still sounds Hindu with the reference to untouchables.

[Udayana]

It is not bull fighting in the European sense. The bulls are not wounded or killed and the (unarmed) bull tamers are more likely to be injured than the animals. The tradition encourages bulls to be kept, otherwise they would most likely be sent for slaughter.

There is an argument that the bulls are being mistreated but, apparently, not as much as the lower castes!

[Rhiannon]

Yeah, the story isn't really bull welfare.

[Sriram]

Given the cow is supposed to be sacred, how's that work then?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-38919920

I wouldn't have thought bull fighting existed in India 

I realise it's a big country, but the culture still sounds Hindu with the reference to untouchables.

Its not bull 'fighting' really. Its more like bull taming. Something like the rodeo...where the men have to hold on to the bull while it is running. The men are more likely to be injured than the bulls. It is a village sport practiced mainly in the state of Tamil Nadu.

It is about proving ones bravery....and is a very ancient sport having its beginnings in the Indus Valley times (approx. 2500 BCE). Some seals from this period seem to depict similar bull taming events. 

It is usually conducted during the harvest season of Pongal (Jan 14-15) when the bulls used for plowing the fields are washed up, dressed with garlands and bells and horns are painted and so on. The bulls are then paraded through the village and some of them are then  used for the taming sport.

There have been attempts by PETA to ban the sport...but the courts have allowed it after some public revolt. 

Caste has nothing to do with it!

[Bubbles]

Its not bull 'fighting' really. Its more like bull taming. Something like the rodeo...where the men have to hold on to the bull while it is running. The men are more likely to be injured than the bulls. It is a village sport practiced mainly in the state of Tamil Nadu.

It is about proving ones bravery....and is a very ancient sport having its beginnings in the Indus Valley times (approx. 2500 BCE). Some seals from this period seem to depict similar bull taming events. 

It is usually conducted during the harvest season of Pongal (Jan 14-15) when the bulls used for plowing the fields are washed up, dressed with garlands and bells and horns are painted and so on. The bulls are then paraded through the village and some of them are then  used for the taming sport.

There have been attempts by PETA to ban the sport...but the courts have allowed it after some public revolt. 

Caste has nothing to do with it!

Ok thanks.
Some people do seem to be getting a hard time over participating though.