No roar on the muddy track as Maramadi, Kerala’s bull surfing contest, misses another year

For decades, the thunder of hooves, the spray of muddy water and the roar of thousands were an integral part of Independence Day at Anandappally, a village near Adoor in Pathanamthitta. Pairs of bulls, yoked to wooden planks, would hurtle down a 100-metre slushy track, with a rider clinging to the plank as runners steered the animals through the waterlogged field.

That spectacle, known as Maramadi, or bull surfing, will once again be missing from the Palassery polders here this year.

Held immediately after the harvest season, the traditional contest was as much a celebration of farming as a sporting spectacle, which brought farmers, cattle and mud together in a display of grit, skill and rural tradition. But despite repeated efforts by local organisers to revive it, the iconic event will now remain off the calendar for the 14th consecutive year.

Immediate hurdle

According to the Anandappally Karshaka Samithi (AKS), which organises the event, the immediate hurdle is a legal one. Towards the fag end of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s tenure, the Assembly passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Kerala Amendment) Bill, seeking to provide legal protection to traditional cattle races. The amendment followed the examples of Tamil Nadu, which legalised Jallikattu in 2017, and Karnataka, which provided a similar exemption for Kambala in 2018.

However, the subsequent procedures have apparently not been completed, leaving the organisers uncertain about whether the Bill has received the President’s assent.

“All our efforts to ascertain the status of this legislation have gone in vain. We have once again approached Adoor MLA C.V. Santhakumar seeking clarity. In any case, the event is not going to be held this year either,” said Varghese Daniel, president of the AKS.

File photo of Maramadi held at Anandappally near Adoor in Pathanamthitta in 2012.
| Photo Credit:
LEJU KAMAL

Part of heritage

According to him, Maramadi has been part of Anandappally’s agricultural heritage since 1950, when the first race was held at Puthuveettilppadi Ela in Adoor as part of the Independence Day celebrations. It later moved to Ambiyil Ela and, in 1986, to the larger Palassery Ela.

“At its peak, the race drew more than 60 bull pairs from eight districts and thousands of spectators, including foreign tourists. Several bulls were brought from Tamil Nadu and specially trained and maintained by farmers at considerable expense,” he said.

The race, however, has remained in limbo since 2008, when the Centre imposed a ban on such events citing concerns over animal cruelty during the Jallikattu controversy. Persistent efforts by organisers eventually secured permission for the 60th edition in 2012, but the event could not be revived thereafter.

The AKS has now urged the United Democratic Front (UDF) government to resolve the legal uncertainty and facilitate the return of the traditional race. Until then, the muddy track at Palassery Ela will remain silent, waiting for the thunder of hooves to return.