Nepali Villagers Struggle To Keep Bull-Fight Tradition Alive
In an arena nestled on the slopes of the hills, bulls fight to show strength and for recognition. This age-old tradition in the Himalayan Nation is slowly fading, with bulls becoming more expensive and rarer even in villages.
The annual bull festival, which began over two centuries ago, continues to draw hundreds of revellers from across the nation despite the declining number of participating humpy bulls.
In 2025, a total of 16 pairs of bulls were taken into this very arena; this year, it has dropped to 13 as the annual bull fight commences in mid-January.
“We cannot find the calf in and around villages. I had to bring it from a far-flung area of another district. The local breed has almost become extinct, replaced by the hybrid ones. The local cows are now almost extinct, which is the cause. The hybrid ones also now cost 70 to one hundred thousand (Nepali rupees),” Lokman Shrestha, a bull owner who had been participating in the annual event for two decades and claims to have owned 16 matches till date, told ANI.
This annually held, over two centuries old tradition is still continued and maintained by the villagers in their own effort.
“Tractors have now replaced the bulls, previously used to plough the fields. People have now started to give up herding the bulls, all the grown-up young generations have started fleeing abroad, and the old generations- some have adapted the tractor to plough the field. Only those who have an interest are now herding the bulls,” Shrestha added.
The bull owners in this place are rare; they care for the bulls throughout the year and bring them out to fight to show the strength and might of their reared bulls.
Bull owners feed their bull with various cereals, rice flour, oils and vitamins to increase stamina and tame their pet, making it eligible for a fight. Its preparation for the bullfight starts around August- September, during the monsoon.
Farmers make sure their bulls develop both the habit and the will to fight. Once they identify these traits, take special care of them by providing additional training. Bullfighting practice is held occasionally and at various times throughout the year. The practice usually begins in the first week of November and continues every 10 to 15 days.
As per the guidelines and qualifications set by the organising committee and the locals of Tarkeshwor Rural Municipality, where the event is held, a bull used for mating or ploughing fields is unfit to take part in the contest.
The history of bullfighting events in Taruka, Nuwakot District, Nepal, dates back to 1887 B.S., when the then-Prince of Bajhang, Jay Prithivi Bahadur Singh, introduced it for entertainment during his visit to his maternal uncle’s house. Since then, the locals of Taruka Village, renowned for bullfighting, have continued the tradition over the years.
“I am here at Nuwakot to watch Goru Judhai (bull fight) on the occasion of Maghe Sakranti. I came here from Kathmandu after hearing about the annual event here, and I am happy to witness this event here,” Susan Kattel, a reveller who travelled from the capital to the bull wrestling venue, told ANI.
The first day of the 10th month as per the Lunar Calendar, Magh is noted with the feast of Molasses and the eateries, but the district of Nuwakot, about 75 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu, marks it with the bull fighting.
The annual festival of bull taming in Nepal which gives a reflection of the “Jalikattu” in India and the Spanish Bull fight.
The history of annual bullfighting dates back to Betrawati in the Rasuwa district. The Nepali victory over Tibet during that period initiated the annual bullfighting celebration in Betrawati, where 10 pairs of bulls fought to mark the day.
“In comparison to the bygone days, in the villages the population is slowly receding and the number of the bulls also follows the same trend. Last year, there were about 17 pairs of bulls fighting in the arena; the number has decreased slightly, but not noticeably. Many of the participating bull owners have been herding it just to take part in the events,” Surya Man Shrestha, locally elected member of the Tarkeshwor Rural Municipality, told ANI.
Continued for ages, this annual event not only has preserved traditional culture in the Himalayan nation with vivid cultural diversities, but it also has been contributing for tourism development of the area. (ANI)
