The three dayer cock-fighting festival is a great zean and enthusiastic for the villagers of Bastar. The tribals use to enjoy this mode of recreation annually in the month of Aghan after the paddy crops reaches in their godowns. Two different groups of tribals use to join a particular cock-group, the trainers of both the cocks use to put the cocks on ramp for hour’s long fighting. Here both the cocks use to attack vigourously over each other till opponent goes to non-responding physical conditions. The gathered people of each group use to put bats over winning of a particular cock.
According to president of fare organizing committee Phagnu, some 6-7 thousand tribals of district and from bordering Orrisa State have enjoyed the cock fighting here. There occurs a gathering of about 5-6 thousand people on first two days and miraclous gathering of about 15 thousand villagers from all parts of Bastar was seen there at Bodanpal on third and concluding day.
This fare at Bodanpal is famous in the area for cock-fighting. Here several cock trainers use to come and at several points one can see the two opponent cocks fighting with intent to defeat the rival cock. This time two day over two hundred pair cocks have been seen fighting.
Phagnu says that these are 21 members organizing committee, the committee use to raise funds by charging rupees twenty from each fighting pair. The gathering use to enjoy here with traditional refreshments (dishes) and a bit of intoxication for the purpose the vendors of country liquor, Salfi (palm-tree extract) and Landa (rice-brewed viscos liquid) are there.
The trainers who are virtually owners of the cock use to purchase a healthy and smart cock paying for it to the extent of rupees 25 thousand each (really amazing price) and gets the cock trained in fighting with rival cock. To raise the sensation among the people observing the cock fighting the trainers also use to tie the knifes at legs and heads of the cock through which the said cock is supposed to attack over the rival cock. It is generally observed that this sort of tribal enjoyment are easily available at all the regional weekly markets on the said settled market days at all the five districts of Bastar.
The cock fighting has ever played key role among enjoyment process of tribals in every area of Bastar. On certain occassion the instances of killing the looser cock by its owner (trainer) certain high handed tribals in place of taking it as a game, use to take it as personnel rivalry during and even after the cock fights are over, and due to this agency even the cases of murder is a common feature here. A minimum number of murder annually recorded in Bastar under cock fight rivalry can be found in police records. Similarly, some of the tribals use to take the intoxication during fighting in a bit higher quantum which proves alarming for their health point of view. These two sorts of negative aspect are the only mutter of concern and it is essential that the awareness among people should be put forth to teach them to keep themselves away from these two ill tracks and fairly enjoy the cock fighting with sportsman spirit.
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