Huge tents, floodlights, make-shift hotels, fast food centres, biryani points, and parking lots. The cockfight arenas at many villages have these and much more.
Despite a ban on the blood sport, rooster fights have been organised in a big way in East and West Godavari, Krishna, and other districts of the State during the three-day Sankranti celebrations.
The cockfight arenas have witnessed heavy rush, with the punters betting high on each game. Crores of rupees have changed hands.
At some arenas, the punters have transferred money online, and in a few other villages the organisers carried cash. In some other places, the ATMs have reportedly run out of cash as banks declared holidays.
In places such as I. Bhimavaram, Veeravasaram, Mogalturu, Sakinetipalli, Jaggaiahpeta, Kalidindi, Gudivada, Nagayalanka, Peddapulipaka, Mudinepalli, Pedaparupudi, and Korukallu, the villagers have carried the trained roosters to the arenas.
Gambling and other games have also been arranged by the organisers in some towns and villages.
As minor clashes have been reported at a few arenas, the police arranged pickets as a precautionary measure.
The rooster fights concluded on Sunday as the three-day Sankranti festivities drew to a close.
