The majestic Ongole bulls hogged the limelight as Kanuma was celebrated with enthusiasm on the third day of the Makara Sankranti festival across Prakasam district on Friday.
Farmers from far and near brought the decorated Ongole bulls for friendly competitions organised to exhibit their strength during ‘Uttarayana Punyakalam'.
It has always been their cattle wealth which came to their rescue when agriculture failed for reasons like droughts and floods, a farmer P. Srinivasa Rao recalled on the sidelines of a bull racing competition held at Annambotlavaripalem, a village near Parchur for the 33rd year in succession. The bovine beasts pulled big boulders at ease.
Racing competitions were organised also at Kothapatnam, Markapur and Chinnaganjam to display the draught animal power of the docile bulls which attain maximum strength in view of the congenial climatic condition in the district.
Ram fight was also organised to kindle interest in shepherds to maintain goats and sheep, the main economic activity in rural Prakasam. Gangireddu troupes went round the town with colourfully-decorated bulls.
People honoured the bull tamers, who performed a variety of tricks and got in return cash, new clothes, cash affectionately given to them.
Farmers also organised protests against the farm laws. “We fear the three pieces of legislation will accentuate the agrarian crisis with big corporate agri-marketing price knocking away our produce at a throw-away price,” All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee Prakasam District Convenor Ch.Ranga Rao after putting copies of the farm Acts in fire in Venkatadripalem village.
