Bengaluru Kambala: Sunday at Palace Grounds on roll as visitor numbers surge on final race day
"Cultural unity: No caste, creed, or religion in this Sport": Buffalo owner Ankita at B'luru Kambala
Bengaluru: As the first Kambala event of the city is coming to its closure on Sunday, the number of visitors thronging to witness the historic and electrifying Kambala (Buffalo race) doubled, in line with the expectations of the organising Bengaluru Kambala committee.
Sudeep Shetty, member of the organising committee speaking to the Vartha Bharathi revealed that around 170-180 buffaloes participated in the race. “As expected, the crowd increased on the final, second day. The event is a major success, the race is expected to make a comeback in the silicon city in the next season too. We are very delighted to see such a massive participation. The finals of the race will be held at the palace grounds around midnight.”
Sunday’s vibrant cultural performances featured musical evening by popular singers Arjun Janya, Indu Nagaraj, Shamitha Malnad, a comedy show by “Comedy Khiladi Team-Prashansa Mangaluru," an Oxygen dance team performance, and a live art performance by Vilas Nayak. Traditional performances including, Yakshagana, Atti Kalanja, Pilli Vesha, Kangilu Nrutya and many others caught the attention of the audience at the cultural program held alongside Kambala here at Palace Grounds.
“This sport does not have any caste, creed or religion…It's our land's culture, and people of all religions take part in the race.”
Ankitha, member of Jai Tulunadu Punkedadi and a buffalo owner expressed happiness with the organising committee and stated, “We treat our buffaloes like our kids, they are like god to us. It is a matter of pride that our own Karavali sport has come to Bengaluru. I appeal to all Tulu mothers not to stop our traditions and cultures,it should be passed on to the coming generations.”
"This sport transcends caste, creed, or religion. It is not limited to participation by people of a specific caste or community; rather, it follows traditions and rituals. It is a culture, which is embraced by people regardless of their religious, caste, and creed backgrounds. In our organization, Jai Tulunadu, we have individuals from three different religions, yet we live peacefully, fostering a sense of unity. Our Kambala culture shines as a beacon of hope, overcoming societal conflicts,"added Ankitha.
Meanwhile, a few foreigners were also spotted in the palace grounds who had come to witness the event. Two Swedish citizens, Annie and Tomas, speaking to this correspondent said, “We come from a country where we haven't got so many people, we are not used to it, it's fun and kind of an adventure and we are loving it. It’s important to have such events for the common people to just be happy, and we are also having our happy moments in life.”
Simultaneously, several native Karavalites also expressed a hope for the event to continue in the coming seasons. “We work here in Bengaluru, such events make us feel like we are at our home,” said Sharat Kumar, a native of Badiyadka in Kasaragod.
Another Karavalite, who works in the city asserts that the event has made others aware about our culture and traditions.
The two-day mega sporting event was organised through the collaborative efforts of the Kambala Committees of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasaragod districts, and the Bengaluru Kambala Committee. The event will draw to a close on Sunday midnight. Various political leaders, film stars, and other dignitaries came down to the event enhancing its grandeur.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
