Kambala Festival: Buffalo Race In Karnataka You Might Want To Witness

Karanataka offers a bouquet of attractions for tourists. The state has beautiful landscapes, mouthwatering food, serene beaches and a rich cultural heritage. One of the most famous festivals in the state is the Kambala race, which is majorly celebrated in coastal Karnataka. It is a traditional buffalo race, a popular sport among the farming community of the state. The festival begins in November and lasts till March, the next year.

Kambala starts after the paddy harvest is done. The buffaloes race can be seen in action in villages of Dakshina Kannada including Mangalore and Udupi.

The celebrations of Kambala date back thousands of years. There are multiple beliefs and versions of the history of the festival. Many believe that it was started by the farming community of Karnataka, to please Lord Kadri Manjunatha, an incarnation of Lord Shiva for a good harvest for the season. Another belief regarding the origin is related to a royal family. It is said that the Kings of the Hoysala dynasty started the tradition for their past time.

The race is performed on two parallel race tracks, filled with slushy water. The buffaloes are trained, well-fed and nurtured for the aggressive race. The animals are usually raced in pairs during the event, held together with ploughs and ropes. Traditionally the winner of the race is offered coconuts but as time has changed, the winner is now awarded a gold medal or cash prize.

Many animal activists had raised the issue of animal cruelty and a petition was filed in Supreme Court in 2014 against animal cruelty. The SC sent out a ruling in November of the same year to ban Kambala.

But in 2017, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, Kambala was legalized again as it was a traditional sport. Though SC issued guidelines and asked the participants not to use whiplash on the buffaloes.

If you want to witness the race, book the tickets according to the schedule shared by the Kambala committee.

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