Bengaluru, 22 Nov 

An organic diet, a private swimming pool, air-conditioned rooms and free massages -  who doesn't want a king's life like this? Lucky are the buffaloes from Dakshina Kannada district who have all this and more. In fact, their lavish lifestyle costs their owners nearly Rs 1 crore per year. Salar News caught up with the owners of the buffaloes that will be participating in the Kambala event to be held for the first time in Bengaluru on 25 November. "We look after them more than our families," one of the caretakers told Salar News.

The annual festival of Kambala features a buffalo race where a pair of buffaloes is tied to a plough, guided by a handler aka jockey, wielding a stick. With two parallel tracks, the competition determines the fastest buffalo pair and is declared a winner. The Bengaluru event’s award is a gold medal and cash price of Rs 1.5 lakh.

The buffalo owners spare no expense in providing luxurious care for the gentle giants. Each buffalo weighs 700-750 kg and is pampered with organic vegetables soaked in hot water and a sumptuous diet of 5 kg of horse grams every day. 

The buffalo owners take great care to monitor the health of their buffaloes, and the well-being of these animals is of utmost importance to them. Rohith Hedge, one of the buffalo owners, shared his experience, saying, "When one of my buffaloes fell sick, it was a heartbreaking situation. The buffalo had to rest for a month, and during that time, I made sure that it was well-fed by the caretaker. Now, the buffalo has developed a habit of expecting someone to feed it. If the caretaker doesn't feed him, the buffalo refuses to eat. It shows the strong bond and understanding that develops between the owner and the buffalo."

A day in the life of Kambala buffaloes

Their day starts at 7am with breakfast, which is followed by a 30 minute dip in the swimming pool. Then comes a hot bath with neem leaf infused water. The caretakers then provide a 20-minute massage. Lunchtime is a culinary delight, with the caretaker serving organic vegetables soaked in hot water.

"We ensure that everything fed to them is fresh and organic, leaving no room for compromise in the quality of their care," said Rohith Hegde, an owner. 

Srikanth Bhatt, a former Kambala participant from Nandhalike village in Karkala, is a pro in this sport and a winner of 230 gold medals. His five buffaloes will participate in the Bengaluru event, among whom is his beloved buffalo Pandu - a 20-year-old champion who has heavily contributed to Srikanth's medal haul. Srikanth said, “I treat them like my own children but with 10 times the expenditure.” 

The buffaloes start training from September but only on weekends for one hour a day. Jockeys for Kambala are chosen through the Kambala Academy, which hosts the races. In the current year, 300 participants took part, and among them, 30 were selected. One of the selected participants is Kavarthota Sudharshan, a 27-year-old hotel business owner from Mangalore who has been participating in Kambala for over three years. Sudharshan holds a remarkable record of running a buffalo in 11.52 seconds on a 125-meter track.He said , "During rehearsals, comprising 7-9 rounds, I consistently aim to surpass the record each time. Kambala is a sport that represents my culture, and participating in the race is a matter of pride for me." 

Lorries bring Buffalos and village water to Bengaluru 

These Gentle Giants are making their grand entrance into the city. Transported by 200 lorries, each carrying a prized pair. The owners, deeply attuned to their buffaloes' preferences. The owners are bringing water from their native wells to ensure the comfort and well-being of the animals.  One owner shared, "We are bringing four tankers of well water from the village along with the buffaloes to make sure the quality of treatment is not compromised. We also aim to utilize the water from Bangalore.” 

Sundar Rai, President of Tulukota Association has made the arrangements for the buffaloes welfare,  "We have dug three borewells to ensure an adequate water supply for the sport, and the buffaloes are treated royally, just as they are in their respective villages."

Before their arrival in Bengaluru, the Animal Husbandry Department in Mangaluru conducted health checkups at designated points in Karkala and Upanagadi. Dr. Prasanth Shetty, a veterinary doctor, explained, "There are two checkup points where 4-5 vet doctors examine the buffaloes. If they are found to be in good health, they proceed; otherwise, they are sent back to Mangalore." The meticulous attention to the buffaloes' health and comfort does not compromise, he said. 

City stands for Namma Kambala 

 Bengaluru city strongly stood for Namma Kambala, against claims of cruelty by animal activists. They mentioned the kambala’s cultural importance over centuries, expressing gratitude for the Bengaluru people for the public support during legal challenges. Srikanth mentioned that the Rs 50,000 is allocated for bringing back the buffalos to the city, and they are incurring additional expenses by themselves. He expressed gratitude, saying, "When animal activists took us to court, we received immense support from the people of Bengaluru. They helped us preserve this culture and tradition. Therefore, we are bringing Kambala to the people of Bengaluru, allowing them to witness." -Salar News