The Kambala race

Needling through the narrow roads, directed by curious shopkeepers my feet paced closer to the venue as I wept my forehead that kept dripping in the hot sun. Glad that I had made the decision to walk rather than drive through these narrow lanes; there was also an ulterior motive behind the walk. The mind keeps worrying about having to pay more to the roadside vendor when he sees you alight from the car. But this time it was more than that, these vendors would probably shy away from the customer if he sees him in the car. More than the buy of the Kambala whip was the desire to watch the race. The race that was banned, the race that grew very controversial in coastal Karnataka. Coincidentally Mangalore carries names of streets that are named after the race..Kadri Kambla Road for instance. These are races that are held close to the temples of Mangalore and are famous in Tulu Nadu. The race, said the shopkeepers are a rarity to watch these days and if you miss it this time of the year, you wait for a year to watch it again. Wasn’t it cruel to watch the racing buffaloes? Why would people want to indulge in these races? Probably started as a sport and a form of entertainment once upon a time by the Tuluva landlords, the race must have slowly gained a religious significance as the temple lands became the venue for these races. An agriculture-dependent economy, this was great leisure for the farmers and also called for social gathering as the race gained popularity. Gradually people must have started betting on the buffaloes and the pair that won as awards like gold and silver coins were given to the winning tea of buffaloes. Not very different from the horse racing and the turf club though. As I neared the grounds, I was awed by the festivity that the place carried with small shops that were set up, spaces that were earmarked for the runner along with the pair of buffaloes that he was to run with. The organizing committee was busy overseeing the rest of the arrangements and spectators had gathered in large numbers beating the noon heat. Slithering close to one of the team members, noticed the runner whisper into the ears of the buffaloes. What was it that he was saying and what sense did it make to the buffaloes? The runner was cajoling the buffaloes after having readied himself with oil smeared on his body, the vermilion that represented the spirit of his ancestral home on his forehead and in his right hand rested the noted whip that he carries made out of a special tree which is used to nudge the buffaloes to run faster. As the owner of the team handed over the whip to the runner, my gaze fell on the whip and the design of the whip. There was a copper winding that gave grip to the holder of that whip and was selectively made with the right length and dimension of the whip. A lot of searching after the race, got me talking to one of the vendors of the whip, who described at length the morning events before the race. Dawn for these buffaloes and the runner would be 3 am as they set out from the remote villages to the main venue. The buffaloes are fed with a special meal and then hosted onto the mini truck that would transport them to the venue. As the buffaloes are terrified of the movement of the truck, once they are brought down, these buffaloes need a lot of cajoling and pampering. Thereafter they are decorated and prayed to by the owner and the runner. The trained runner has a special bonding with these animals throughout the year as he cajoles them, runs with them, ensures they are well fed and also talks to the buffaloes. This sport called the Kambala in coastal Karnataka has no specialized trainers, but the youth interested in the race, ensure they are self-trained. So Kambala runners like Nishant Shetty or Srinivasa Gowda who clocked in record speed and were felicitated recently have a passion and a skill of their own which has been acquired by observation and expertise passed on by the seniors and most of all a bonding that goes unnoticed with these animals who fetch them the glory! Tradition continues……