Kambala, a traditional buffalo race held on a slushy track, is set to be part of this year’s Mysuru Dasara. Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the plan in Mangaluru on September 25 after meeting representatives of buffalo owners. The races will run from October 18 until the afternoon of October 19, when prizes are scheduled to be distributed.
The newly built Kare, or muddy racing field, measures 147 metres and is located near the VTU College campus in Mysuru. Organisers will name it Vijaya Dashami. Nearly 160 pairs of buffaloes are expected to take part in junior and senior divisions. Rai said more than 200 owners had expressed interest; the organising committee will select participants using recent race timings from earlier Kambala events.
The prize structure differs by division. The winning senior pair is due to receive ₹65,000 and 16 grams of gold, while the runner-up will receive an honorarium and an eight-gram gold coin. In the junior category, the winning pair will receive ₹50,000 and eight grams of gold; the second-place team is due an honorarium and a five-gram coin.
The event will bring participating buffaloes and their owners from Puttur to Mysuru by road on October 16, departing from Mahalingeshwara temple at 10:30 a.m. The group is scheduled to stop for lunch in Madikeri before reaching a five-acre accommodation area for the animals in Mysuru. A trial race involving about five pairs is planned for October 10 at the new Kare.
Organisers have built three stages around the field: one for the programme, one for VIP visitors and one viewing area designed for more than 15,000 spectators. Free passes will be distributed for three separate viewing batches, and coastal food will also be available at the venue. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is expected to attend on one of the two race days.
Rai said the state government had approved adding Kambala to Mysuru Dasara after a petition seeking to confine the sport to Dakshina Kannada was rejected by the High Court. He dismissed criticism that staging the races outside the coastal district could weaken the event’s credibility, arguing that Mysuru Dasara’s international audience would bring Kambala wider attention. State Kambala Association president Devi Prasad Shetty also attended the meeting.