Kambala, a traditional sport of Karnataka, is a race involving which animals?

Kambala is a traditional buffalo race held in the coastal districts of Karnataka, mainly Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, in the region known as Tulu Nadu. It is usually held between November and March, after the paddy harvest.

How Kambala is held:

• The race is run on a slushy, water-filled track made in a paddy field, about 120-145 metres long.
• A pair of buffaloes is tied together with a plough or plank, and a jockey (called the "kambala runner") runs or stands behind them, guiding them with a whip and ropes.

The pair that reaches the end of the track fastest wins. In one category, judges also measure how high the water splashes from a plank attached behind the buffaloes.

Originally, Kambala was organised by landowners and farmers as a thanksgiving to the gods for a good harvest, and it was linked to the worship of local deities.

Recent history:

• In 2014, the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu and similar animal sports, which also affected Kambala.
• In 2017, Karnataka passed an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to allow Kambala with safeguards for animal welfare.
• In May 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the state laws allowing Jallikattu (Tamil Nadu), Kambala (Karnataka) and bullock cart races (Maharashtra).

In 2020, Kambala runner Srinivas Gowda became famous after reports said he covered 100 metres faster than Usain Bolt's world record. Experts pointed out that the comparison was not valid, but it drew national attention to the sport.

In November 2023, a Kambala event was held in Bengaluru for the first time.

Other traditional animal sports of India:

• Jallikattu: bull-taming, Tamil Nadu (during Pongal).
• Bullock cart race: Maharashtra and Punjab.
• Camel races: Rajasthan (for example at the Pushkar and Bikaner festivals).
• Polo: horses, with Manipur's Sagol Kangjei as its ancestor.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Bulls are used in Jallikattu (Tamil Nadu) and bullock cart races.
• ✗Horses are used in polo and horse racing.
• ✗Camels are raced in Rajasthan.