No roar on the muddy track as Maramadi, Kerala’s bull surfing contest, misses another year
The traditional Maramadi bull surfing contest in Anandappally, Kerala, has been cancelled for the 14th consecutive year due to ongoing legal uncertainty. Despite legislative efforts to protect traditional cattle races, organizers remain unable to confirm the status of the required legal approvals.
For decades, the thunder of hooves, the spray of muddy water and the roar of thousands were an integral part of Independence Day at Anandappally, a village near Adoor in Pathanamthitta. Pairs of bulls, yoked to wooden planks, would hurtle down a 100-metre slushy track, with a rider clinging to the plank as runners steered the animals through the waterlogged field.
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