A 19-year old boy, who was apparently a curious visitor to the much-touted Jallikkattu event held at Madurai’s Palamedu, breathed his last yesterday after he was ‘gored’ by a raging bull which was challenged by an army of Jallikkattu fighters. 

Jallikkattu, a valour-filled Tamil traditional sporting activity, is an annual affair held in many parts of the State during Pongal holidays. On ‘Maattu’ Pongal yesterday, the event was held with traditional gaiety at Palamedu in Madurai in which thousands of ‘Jallikkattu’ fighters took part.

Several hundreds of locals including some foreigners had congregated at the place to witness the ‘Jallikkattu’ event. Organizers of the event had put in place wooden fencing so as to ensure that the spectators are not harmed by the raging bulls or by the army of fighters attempting to bring the bull under control.

Kalimuthu, a 19-year old boy from Sanarpatti in Dindigul, reportedly strayed out of the gallery area out of sheer curiosity and to have a ‘closer’ look at the sporting activity. While several such spectators were injured in the melee, Kalimuthu was gored by a bull and was immediately rushed to the Govt. Hospital in Madurai where he succumbed to his injuries.