Coastal enthusiasts rejoice as govt announces funding for Kambala

Bengaluru: The state government has provided exciting news for Kambala (buffalo race) enthu-siasts in the coastal region. An official order has been issued to allocate Rs 5 lakh to each Kambala event held across the coastline. Despite previous demands, the gov-ernment did not provide funding for Kambala last year, leading to disappointment among its supporters. Within that context, coastal legislators had also raised their re-quests during the recent assembly session in Belagavi. Speaker U.T. Khader himself had actively supported the Kambala cause, stating that if the government failed to provide assistance, they would be forced to raise funds independently to continue the tradition.

In response to the growing demands, the government has now ordered the release of funds for Kambala events. This decision comes following the recommendations made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Tourism Minister H.K. Patil issuing the or-der. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, a total of Rs 5 lakh has been earmarked for each of the Kambala scheduled to be held in coastal region.The Kambala Committee has expressed its gratitude to the state government for its support. However, following the fulfilment of this primary demand, calls have been made to address the remaining requests that have not yet been met.

In total, 25 Kambalas are held in the coastal region, each attracting approximately one lakh spectators. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, Rs 5 lakh was allocated to ten Kam-balas in Udupi district. Additionally, requests have been made for financial assistance for the 53 traditional Kambalas conducted in Udupi district.

Last year, while the government had announced a budget of Rs 50 lakh, the funds were not actually disbursed. Consequently, the Kambala Committee has insisted on the immediate release of the previously announced Rs 50 lakh. Furthermore, the committee’s president, Devi Prasad Shetty, indicated that they are also advocating for an additional Rs 50 lakh to be released to support traditional Kambalas.

Following the recognition of Kambala in the coastal region, the excitement is also spreading to Bengaluru. However, for Kambala to survive and flourish in its Tulu cul-tural context, the encouragement from Kambala enthusiasts, along with support from both the state and central governments, is essential.