Winner Of First Kambala Annual Buffalo Race In Bengaluru Dies

A buffalo named Lucky, who won a medal in the Negilu Hiriya category for the second position in the first Kambala annual buffalo race held in Bengaluru, died on Wednesday, July 17. Kambala annual buffalo race is a traditional water buffalo race in muddy waters held from December to March in Kasaragod. According to Local 18 Kannada, Lucky was 6 years old and was suffering from abdominal pain. A native known as Varapadi Badagumane Diwakar Chowta had raised this buffalo and this animal became famous in the Kambala annual buffalo race. Not only was the first Kambala race held in Bengaluru, but Lucky also won medals for its owner named Diwakar Chowta in five other competitions as well. This animal has been facing sickness for the past 1 week and has undergone surgery at Karkala, Karnataka.

According to a report published in Udayavani, the buffalo was again brought to Karkala for treatment on Wednesday (July 17), where it breathed its last. Lucky’s name was quite renowned in the Aikala and Naringana villages.

The demise of the buffalo brought great sadness to many Kambala enthusiasts. They visited the cremation place to express their sorrow for Lucky.

Lucky was bathed and then covered properly for the cremation. The buffalo formed a successful pairing with many other buffalos.

More about Kambala, the annual buffalo race

Kambala is the native sport of Tulu Nadu and the track used for this sport is a paddy field filled with slush. Two pairs of buffaloes are the contestants and they are managed by a whip-lashing farmer. In earlier days, the winning pair of buffaloes was rewarded with coconuts and a bunch of plantains. Today, Kambala has become an organised, professional sport that attracts a large crowd from different parts of the state. People place huge amounts of bets on the participating buffaloes and one can witness more than 20,000 spectators in a well-organised Kambala. They egg and cheer the buffaloes to finish the race.

Kambala is held during the winter months when farmers harvest their paddy crops.