Mysuru Kambala, the state government-backed buffalo race planned as part of the Dasara celebrations, will be held on October 18 and 19 with 160 pairs of buffaloes, organisers said on Friday. The event is being planned at a 20-acre site about 7 km from Mysuru Palace, with facilities designed to accommodate large crowds and visitors without passes.
Ashok Kumar Rai, the MLA overseeing the event, said at a press conference in Mangaluru that around 200 buffalo-pair owners had expressed interest in participating. A subcommittee will select the 160 pairs that will be allowed to compete. Organisers have also identified around five acres where the buffaloes will be housed during the event.
The temporary venue will include two 147-metre racing tracks, named Vijaya and Dashami, whose construction is nearly complete. The organisers said more than 15,000 people would be able to watch the races at the same time. Three stages are being constructed at the venue: a main stage for formal programmes and two adjoining stages with seating for dignitaries and special invitees.
The viewing arrangements will be divided into three shifts, covering the morning to afternoon, afternoon to evening and evening to night periods. Visitors without passes will also be allowed to watch the event. For them, the organisers plan to provide 5,000 seats. The overall visitor expectation has been placed at around 25 lakh people, making access, crowd movement and animal handling central to the event’s operational planning.
The organisers will provide commentary in both Tulu and Kannada. Visitors will also be allowed to take selfies with the buffaloes, while stalls showcasing the traditions and food of the Tulu region are planned at the venue. Rai said arrangements would also be made for owners who want their buffaloes to drink water brought from Mysuru.
The buffaloes are scheduled to leave from near the Puttur Mahalingeshwara Temple at 10.30 am on October 16. They will be fed and given a three-hour rest after reaching Madikeri before continuing to Mysuru later that night. October 17 has been set aside as a rest day for the animals before the races begin.
The state government will bear transportation and fodder expenses of ₹65,000 for each pair of larger buffaloes and ₹50,000 for each pair of smaller buffaloes. In the senior category, the owners of the winning pair will receive 16 grams of gold, while the second-place prize will be eight grams. Organisers are also considering demands for third- and fourth-place prizes. In the junior category, the first prize will be eight grams of gold and the second prize five grams.
State Kambala Committee president Deviprasad Shetty said the event would connect the farming folk sport of Tulu Nadu with Karnataka’s wider cultural landscape. The committee said it would work to conduct the Mysuru Kambala in an orderly manner. The next immediate milestones are the selection of participating buffalo pairs, completion of venue preparations and the animals’ departure from Puttur on October 16.
