TIRUPATI: The much-awaited ‘Pasuvula Panduga’, the annual traditional cattle festival celebrated to propitiate the gods to protect and enhance the cattle wealth, came to a bloody end in Rangampet of Chandragiri mandal in Chittoor district on Monday with 17 people and 19 cattle suffering injuries.The situation went out of control as the cattle, apparently scared by the presence of a huge crowd that narrowed their path and the high-decible noise, strayed off the running course and ran into the crowd looking for escape routes.In the process, they trampled upon the spectators leaving many hurt. Several cattle were also injured when they either rammed into the parked vehicles or slipped and fell while running on the paved roads.In Eguva Vooru of Rangampet panchayat, five people were injured after the cattle that were released on the main road turned towards the people who lined up on either side of the road.One P Kishore suffered injuries on both his thighs and left cheek after he was attacked by a cow. Eight others were injured when another batch of cattle was released in Eguva Voora and the people inadvertently came in the way of rushing cattle.In a similar incident at another place, five persons, including two constables, came under attack by the surging cattle. The injured were shifted to the local government hospital while some were taken to area hospitals in Chandragiri and Tirupati.All of them are said to be in a stable condition.In Eguva Vooru, three cows ran straight into a police jeep parked on the road.The impact was of the collision was such that the jeep was toppled and the cattle were severely injured. The cops, it is learnt, parked their vehicle at the wrong place, which happened to be the end point of the race.In the same village, another dozen-and- a-half cows slipped on the cement road losing purchase while they ran the stretch of the main road. Two of them even lost their horns.The normal practice of putting soft mud on the road to prevent injuries to the cattle was not followed this year. Police were deployed in large numbers in the villages to prevent any untoward incident and also betting on the cattle run.Age-old TraditionAccording to village elders, celebrating ‘Pasuvula Panduga’ on Kanuma is a very old tradition. Rangampet is famous for its cattle wealth and people from different parts of the district and even other districts come here to purchase cattle.The festival commences with Chatimpu (heralding) of the time and place of the cattle run on the night of Sankranthi. All the cattle in the twin hamlets of Rangampet panchayat are gathered at one end of the main road of the respective hamlets.A goat is sacrificed and the blood is mixed with rice, which is called as ‘Poli’.After offering prayers to deities, ‘Poli’ is sprinkled around the village to ward off evil and also on the cattle that is gathered at one place. Later, fodder and water is offered to the cattle and their heads are tastefully decorated.At the designated time, they are let loose to run a stretch of about 500 metres.Once the cattle reach the end of the road, they go into fields and are free.Later in the evening, they are collected by respective owners and taken back to their houses and fields.
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