Kambala is traditionally a simple sport. Kambala is basically a traditional buffalo race in muddy waters, held from December till March. Starting at noon after prayers and invoking blessings from mother earth, the ‘Arasu’ or Chieftain pours milk onto the fields to symbolically inaugurate the race. It is a test of speed for the specially trained male buffalo pairs and endurance as well as grit for the jockey. The jockey, clad only in a skimpy loin-cloth has to run with the animals or do a balancing act on a wooden plank attached to the whip. Kadri Kambla must have been a great sight in the past. Imagine a valley, stretching from Kadri temple, which runs westwards to slowly widen at Kodialguthu…. Spectacular.
