A three-day annual cultural and sports festival, Mungaru Samskritika Habba, commenced in Raichur on Monday.
The programme is being organised by Munnuru Kapu Samaj at Rajendra Gunj in the city to mark “Kaara Hunnime”. This is the 20th annual programme, though last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19.
A competition in pulling boulders for bullocks, wrestling, fights between rams, Janapada music and folk dances were the first day’s attractions.
Several thousands of people from various parts of the district, elsewhere in the State and also from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra witnessed the annual event.
Bullocks from other districts in the State participated in the competition to pull boulders weighing 1.5 tonnes on the first day.
“On Tuesday, there will be a competition for bullocks where they will pull boulders weighing 2 tonnes. And, on the third day, bullocks will compete in pulling boulders weighing 2.5 tonnes. Bullocks from all over the country will participate in competitions on the second and third day,” the former MLA A. Papa Reddy, who is part of the organising committee, told The Hindu.
As many as 13 pairs of bullocks participated in the competition on the first day. They pulled rock boulders weighing 1.5 tonnes in a time limit of 20 minutes.
A pair of bullocks belonging to Anjaneya Mallapur of Deodurg taluk bagged the first prize of ₹55,000 in cash by pulling a boulder for a distance of 2,852 ft in 20 minutes.
The second prize of ₹45,000 in cash went to a bullock pair belonging to Marpalli Ravigouda Police Patil. The pair of bullocks pulled a boulder for a distance of 2,717 ft.
The third prize of ₹35,000 in cash was bagged by a pair of bullocks, belonging to Satal Ramesh Arkeri of Deodurg taluk, that pulled a boulder for a distance of 2,501 ft.
The fourth prize of ₹25,000 in cash went to a pair of bullocks belonging to Hanumanth Tatar of Kurdi village in Manvi taluk for pulling a boulder for a distance of 2,408 ft.
A pair of bullocks belonging to Bhumalagunda Devaraj of Deodurg taluk won the fifth prize of ₹20,000 in cash by pulling a boulder for a distance of 2,400 ft.
On the second and third day, cultural programmes will be held at IDSMT Layout and Gunj Kalyan Mantap to entertain viewers.
Mr. Papa Reddy said that the annual programme is organised during “Kaara Hunnime”, a big festival for the farming community, to promote desi, folk and cultural activities among the younger generations.
“The boulder-pulling competition for bullocks is a prime sports event. The concept behind holding this competition is to bring to light the real strength of the participating bullocks,” he added.
Earlier, national vice-president of BJP D.K. Aruna inaugurated the programme.
Rachotiveera Shivacharya Swamiji of Somwarpet, president of Munnuru Kapu Samaj Bellam Narasareddy, Shivaraj Patil, Basanagowda Patil Daddal, N. Shankrappa, Timmappa Nadagowda, G. Basavaraj Reddy, N. Keshav Reddy, P. Narasi Reddy, Ravi N. Boseraju and Chandrashekhar Reddy and others were present.
