Kadri Kambala witnesses confluence of Tulu culture

Only few teams take part in race, but thousands gather to have a glimpse of man-animal race.

No nail biting finish, no nervousness and people breathed normally as there was no excitement in the famous annual Kadri Kambala races. However, thousands gathered at the Kambala field, to witness the opening of 300-year old Kadri Kambala, one of the rich assets of heritage Tulu Nadu possesses, as the Jogi Math Swami sprinkled the holy ash, prasada of the saviour Lord Manjunatha of Kadri, on the Kambala field.

According to regular visitors, the number of participating teams in the Kambala witnessed a drastic drop compared to past years. But the Kambala brought alive a festive mood in the area as more than 3,000 people gathered at the venue from morning onwards. “There is a drop in participation of teams compared to last few years. Usually people like to participate in the competitions held at rural areas.

That’s why other rural games and competitions were also included in the Kambala,” said Kalkura Prathistana President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, one of the organisers.
The Kadri Kambala Samiti had organised a series of marshy field games to enhance people’s participation in the rural sports.

Competitions like tug-of-war, Slush Race, Tulu Nadu Thappangayi (Coconut fetching competition) and treasure hunt received good response and participation from the public. Children seemed to be the most enjoying group in the Kadri Kambala, which is considered to be an integral part of the Tulu Nadu folk culture, as they reigned in different competitions.

The ‘Kesaru gadde ota,’ which was organised in three categories, was the centre of attraction and excited many. The race was organised for Under-12, between 12-18 years and over 18 age groups in both men and women categories.

The treasure hunt for kids literally turned in to a digging competition, as many children tried to get the gift boxes hid inside the sand heap. The tug-of-war competition for men became one-sided whereas in women’s category, the crowd saw real spirit. One of the eves’ competitions even went for several minutes as both teams fought for inch by inch.

VIP Visits

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who was in the city, visited the Kambala on Sunday evening. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kageri Vishweshwara Hegde, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat, MLA Krishna J Palmar escorted the Chief Minister. Earlier, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr K N Vijaya Prakash, Mangalore City Deputy Mayor Amitha Kala also visited the venue.