Smog, low visibility and uncertainty marked the beginning of the four-day Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The first day of Pongal - Bhogi -- began with people burning discarded items, thereby causing smog and low visibility that ultimately led to delays in flight and train services.
By 10 am, the smog disappeared and visibility was back to normal. However, uncertainty over permission to hold the traditional bull-taming sport -- jallikattu -- prevailed even as people in at least one village in the state defied the Supreme Court ban and conducted the event on Friday morning.
Even before the smog disappeared, jallikattu supporters were on the roads and other public places holding protests demanding permission for conducting the sport.
Youngsters, mostly IT professionals, held a human chain protest on Marina Beach in Chennai. "We contacted one another on social media and decided to register our protest peacefully by joining hands on the Marina," said software engineer M Rajesh who participated in the human chain.
A protest called by the opposition DMK began at 10 am. Party members and leaders were standing outside central government offices and district collectorates protesting against the inaction of the Centre on the jallikattu issue.
The protesters were led by DMK working president M K Stalin and other leaders like Kanimozhi and Duraimurugan, and T R Baalu and several other MLAs.
The party, like the state government, wants the Centre to promulgate an ordinance immediately to remove the legal impediments that would enable the conduct of jallikattu.
People in Kariselkulam in Madurai district defied the Supreme Court's ban and conducted the jallikattu. Twenty two game bulls and over 50 bull tamers participated in the event.
Police and higher officials arrived in the village only after the event began. They held talks with the villagers.
By 10 am, the smog disappeared and visibility was back to normal. However, uncertainty over permission to hold the traditional bull-taming sport -- jallikattu -- prevailed even as people in at least one village in the state defied the Supreme Court ban and conducted the event on Friday morning.
Even before the smog disappeared, jallikattu supporters were on the roads and other public places holding protests demanding permission for conducting the sport.
Youngsters, mostly IT professionals, held a human chain protest on Marina Beach in Chennai. "We contacted one another on social media and decided to register our protest peacefully by joining hands on the Marina," said software engineer M Rajesh who participated in the human chain.
A protest called by the opposition DMK began at 10 am. Party members and leaders were standing outside central government offices and district collectorates protesting against the inaction of the Centre on the jallikattu issue.
The protesters were led by DMK working president M K Stalin and other leaders like Kanimozhi and Duraimurugan, and T R Baalu and several other MLAs.
The party, like the state government, wants the Centre to promulgate an ordinance immediately to remove the legal impediments that would enable the conduct of jallikattu.
People in Kariselkulam in Madurai district defied the Supreme Court's ban and conducted the jallikattu. Twenty two game bulls and over 50 bull tamers participated in the event.
Police and higher officials arrived in the village only after the event began. They held talks with the villagers.