150 buffalo pairs race as Kambala debuts at Mysuru Dasara

Coastal Karnataka’s traditional sport of Kambala made its debut at the Mysuru Dasara on Sunday, with Urban Development Minister and Mysuru district in-charge Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah flagging off the two-day buffalo race at Sathagalli.

Organised by the Dasara Kambala Sub-Committee at the sprawling grounds near the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) College, the event features 150 pairs of buffaloes and is being held for the first time as part of the Dasara celebrations.

Flagging off the event, Dr. Yathindra said Kambala, a popular traditional rural sport of the coastal region, should not remain confined to its place of origin. The objective of bringing it to Mysuru Dasara was to give the sport wider recognition and enable people across the country and beyond to witness it, he said.

He said elaborate arrangements had been made for the event, including nutritious feed and veterinary care for the buffaloes. Bringing a pair of buffaloes to Mysuru costs around ₹5 lakh, he said, adding that the organisers had also decided to make the event plastic-free and put in place security and other facilities.

Puttur MLA Ashok Rai thanked those involved in organising Kambala as part of Dasara and credited Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar with extending support for the initiative. He said the sport had gained a large following across Karnataka, attracting an estimated 30 lakh to 40 lakh spectators.

Acknowledging the opposition to holding Kambala in Mysuru amid prevailing drought concerns, Mr. Rai said the sport was largely sustained by the farming community and was not driven by large prize money or commercial gains.

“Kambala enthusiasts are not necessarily wealthy. The prize money is modest, while transporting the buffaloes over long distances involves considerable expenditure. They raise and care for the animals as they would their own children,” he said.

He said the event had been organised successfully with the cooperation of the district administration and appealed to people to attend with their families. The organisers wanted Kambala to gain visibility across the State and at the international level, he added.

Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Deve Gowda welcomed the participation of people from the coastal region and said the traditional sport of Tulu Nadu was being held in Mysuru for the first time as part of the Dasara festivities. He urged the public to extend their cooperation to ensure the event’s success.

MLC K. Shivakumar, Zoo Authority of Karnataka chairman K. Ranganathswamy, State Kambala Association president Devi Prasad Shetty, Chandrahass Sadhu Sunil, Dr. Rakshith Raj, Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy and others were present.