Maramadi, an agrarian sport fading into oblivion

Despite the ban, some farmers in Anandapally still rear & train bulls for racing, a tradition kept alive by pride, not profit

- JAISON WILSON @Pathanamthitta

Conducted in ankle-deep slushy fields after the paddy harvest, 'Maramadi', (bull surfing) is not just a race for the villagers of Anandapally in Pathanamthitta, but a symbol of traditional farming, one where man, animal and mud merge in a unique spectacle of tradition and toil.

However, the harvest race that once drew thousands to the muddy fields near Anandapally in Adoor during the Malayalam month of Chingam is nearly extinct today.

The race was a sight to behold. A pair of bulls yoked to a wooden plank charged down a 100-m waterlogged track, with a rider clinging to the log and two runners guiding them. For viewers, it was rhythm, tradition and unwavering spirit — "agriculture in motion", as many dubbed it.

Started in the 1950s in Adoor Puthuveettil Padi Ela, Anandapally Maramadi was held annually after paddy harvest until 2008, following a Supreme Court directive that banned events involving the use of animals, including Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu.