Festivals

Kambala is an annual festival celebrated in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. The festival involves the traditional buffalo race, a popular and unique sport among the farming community of the state.
This yearly event is celebrated with much enthusiasm and fervour in most parts of Dakshina Kannada, including Mangalore. The Kambala festival season starts in November and lasts till March.
Quick Facts
Area: Dakshina Kannada, including Mangalore
Highlight: Buffalo races
Significance: Beginning of the harvesting season
Time: November to March
History of Kambala, Karnataka
The origin of the Kambala celebration can be traced back to more than a thousand years. During the early days of the festival it was known as Karaga celebrations. Later it came to be known as Kambala celebrations. There are different beliefs regarding the origin of the festival.
Kambala and the Farming Community
According to one belief, Kambala is a festival that originated in the farming community of Karnataka. The festival is dedicated to Lord Kadri Manjunatha, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
It was celebrated to please the Gods for a good harvest. It was also a form of entertainment or recreational sport for the farming community. The winner of the buffalo race was rewarded with a coconut and such other things.
Kambala – the Sport of the Royal Family
The other belief regarding the origin of Kambala is that the buffalo races originated as a sport for the royal family’s amusement or pleasure.
According to legend, the festival was started by the Hoysala Kings to see if the buffaloes could be trained and used in war. The Hoysala Kings were astonished to see the speed of the buffaloes and started racing them against one another. As such, this developed as a sport for the royals. Later the tradition was carried on by the feudal lords of those regions and finally it was continued by the ordinary people.
The festival has managed to grow in popularity through the centuries. Today the age-old festival is organized on a large scale and a huge crowd gathers to participate in the celebrations.
Types of Kambalas
Traditionally, there were two types of Kambalas :
Pookere Kambala
Bale Kambala
The celebration of Bale Kambala was discontinued about 900 years ago. So, the Kambala that we see today is the Pookere Kambala variety.
How is Kambala Festival Celebrated?
Kambala is a simple event of buffalo races that is usually held over a two-day period. The festival begins with an inaugural ceremony and a parade of the participating farmers along with their prized buffaloes. Soon after, the much anticipated buffalo races start.
Each team comprises of two buffaloes and a farmer who controls the buffaloes. Two teams are made to race down two slushy tracks to determine the fastest team.
A Buffalo Race and 2 Muddy Tracks
The buffalo race is held on 2 muddy tracks that are placed parallel to each other. The racing tracks are normally about 120 to 160 metres in length and 8 to 12 metres in width, depending on the space available. The tracks are ploughed into a muddy field that is made slushy with water.
Traditionally there used to be just one track. But now 2 tracks are used for the race, though in some areas the tradition of a single track is still followed.
The Kambala – A Festival of Cheer
The festival takes place among a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers and supporters. The atmosphere becomes taut with anticipation and excitement during the races.
As each farmer frantically edges his buffaloes to race on the track and reach the finishing line at the earliest, the crowd cheers them. The farmer whose buffaloes cover the distance within the shortest time is declared the winner.
The races continue overnight. Different types of races are held at different levels that lead up to a grand finale. The grand finale is generally held in the afternoon of the second day. The swiftest pair of buffaloes is declared the winner of the race and the farmer controlling those buffaloes is awarded the prize.
Categories of Kambala Festival
The festival of Kambala takes place in various categories. The four main categories are –
Negilu
Hagga
Adda Halage
Kene Halage
Negilu – In this category of the buffalo race, while racing, the farmer holds a plough that is tied to the pair of buffaloes. The thing to note is that this plough is just a representation of the actual plough used in the fields. It is a light wooden replica of the plough made especially for the race.
This category is mainly for the entry level buffaloes, which generally have no prior experience of the race. However, generally there are junior and senior rounds in this category.
Hagga – In this category of the race, the buffalo pair has a rope tied directly to them. This category involves buffaloes that are well experienced in taking part in the race. The buffaloes of this category normally possesses more speed that the buffaloes participating under the Nigelu category. The Hagga category also has junior and senior rounds of competition.
Adda Halage – In this category of the buffalo race a wooden plank is tied to the pair of buffaloes. The farmer stands on this wooden plank while the race is in progress. This category is mainly for the senior buffaloes, which generally have prior experience of the race.
Kene Halage – In this category of the buffalo race a round-shaped wooden block is involved during the race. The farmer stands on the wooden block on a single leg. The wooden block has 2 holes through which water gushes out while running.
The height of the water gushing out through the holes is measured to determine the winner of the race. The height of the water gushing out depends on the speed of the racer – more the speed, more is the height of the water.
This category is for the most experienced farmer and the most experienced buffaloes. Generally, in the middle of the track, 2 strips of white cloth are tied across the track. These are used for height measurement of the water during the race.