MADURAI: With Pongal less than two weeks away, the stage is set for yet another grand jallikattu season.
But the speciality of this year’s Pongal is that the jallikattu will be getting a great honour in the form of a swanky stadium, which is almost ready for inauguration, in Madurai.
With the Alanganallur jallikattu being a global attraction, tourists from far and near coming to watch the sport of valour can be assured of safety as 95 per cent of the construction works of the stadium at Keelakarai village near Alanganallur is over.
Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy after inspecting the site said that the stadium would be ready for this year’s event on Jan 16.
The much-awaited stadium, which is a first-of-its-kind facility in the state, is being built on a sprawling 77, 683 sq-ft area.
Talking to the media, the Minister said Chief Minister MK Stalin during the Legislative Assembly session on January 21, 2022, announced under Rule 110 that a stadium for Jallikattu would be built in the Madurai district. Stalin, who launched the construction work on March 18, 2023, will be dedicating the stadium shortly to the State.
The stadium, which is nearing completion, was being built in a grand style to accommodate 5000 spectators. “It is also designed in such a way that the entire premises is convenient to all, including bulls and bull tamers,” Moorthy said.
Collector MS Sangeetha, A Venkatesan, Sholavandan MLA, Chief Engineer of Madurai Zone S Ragunathan, Executive Engineer V Chendur, President of Alanganallur Town Panchayat Renuka Eshwari and others accompanied during the inspection.
Sources said the State government allocated Rs 44.6 crore for the construction and as many as 66 acres were acquired to set up the stadium.
This jallikattu stadium would have a big entrance, arena for bulls, restrooms of bull owners and bulls, medical and veterinary care facility, rainwater harvesting system, water fountain, landscape, overhead tank with a capacity of 50,000 litres and approach roads, sources said.