Why in news? The first kambala (buffalo race in slushy paddy fields) of the season was set in motion at Kakkepadavu in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Karnataka district

Highlights:

• The last Kambala of the season has been scheduled at Panapila in Moodbidri on April 2023

About Kambala

• It is an annual buffalo race held in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka.
• Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts
• Places: Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod of Kerala, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.
• It has become an organised rural sport, with elaborate planning and scheduling to accommodate competitions at different places.
• Organizer: “Kambala samithis” including smaller remote villages such as Vandaru and Gulvadi
• Kambala season : November and lasts until March.

Format

• The Kambala racetrack is a slushy paddy field, and the buffaloes are driven by a whip-lashing farmer.
• Traditional Kambala was non-competitive, and the pair was run one by one.
• In modern Kambala, the contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes.
• In villages such as Vandaro and Choradi, there is also a ritualistic aspect, as farmers race their buffaloes to give thanks for protecting them from diseases.

Kori Kambla

• It is a distinct agriculture-based celebration in Tulunadu.
• This refers to a kind of collective ploughing and planting on a fixed day for the enelu cultivation.
• A general race of buffaloes is known as kori

Kadri Kambala( Arasu Kambala)

• It used to be held at Kadri, Mangalore
• Also called Devera Kambla as it is associated with Sri Manjunatha Temple in that city.
• This event was patronised by the Alupa kings of Mangalore, 300 years ago.

History  Kambala

• The kambla influenced by Natha pantha,
• Earlier days, the Kambla starts previous day evening with tradition dance of Koraga communities mostly by men.

Legal Challenges

• Kambala had also stirred controversy in the past with the charge of ill-treatment of animals.
• In 2014, based on lawsuits filed by animal welfare organizations, the Supreme Court of India ordered a ban on Kambala.
• The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 re-legalized the Kambala festival in Karnataka.
• Then-President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, promulgated the new law 2017.
• Litigation continued but was resolved by the passage of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2018, which then-President Ram Nath Kovind approved on
• The Supreme Court has also issued several guidelines to ensure that kambala buffaloes are not harmed, tortured or ill-treated during the races.