There are only twenty days left before the ICC World Cup begins. Cricket is religion in India but not for all of them. Few from the northern state of India are more interested in rural games played in the villages of India. This state is obviously Punjab and games are Annual Rural Olympic Games. Kila Raipur is a small village in Punjab where these Rural Olympic Games are held every year since 1933. This is also known as the Kila Raipur Sports Festival. This year also festival was held between 1st and 4th of the February and no national newspaper took any note. At least in the western part of India where I live there was no news of this.
I have never been to Punjab but have seen enough of movies to imagine how it feels or you sense when you are in a Punjabi village. Dull green and yellow maize farms and hand pumps, intoxicating aroma of the motherland and patriotic spirit of Punjab. And most amazing are the people of Punjab. Healthy, strong and beautiful Punjabis never they shy to flex their wrists. When I look around me at the people of Gujarat and meditate over I understand why this Olympics are possible in the village of Punjab only and not in Gujarat or any other state in India.
In his book history of Satyagraha in South Africa, Mohandas Gandhi cried much about the health and physique of Indian workers and black workers and how it differs so visibly even when they are on the same diet and living under same circumstances for years. He said that even cattle in Africa looks much healthier than cattle here in India. I think poor Mahatma was never been to the healthy state of Punjab before he visited and settled in South Africa for years.
Dancing horse display, tent pegging and horse show, para gliding, dog races, loading and unloading tractor trolley, track and field events, cycle races, hockey, tug-of-war, kabaddi and tug-of-war are the major events at this Rural Olympics but the most exciting and thrilling of them all is the Bullock cart race. And price money involved in these games make them even more exciting for the participants. Cash prizes were offered to the athletes who obtain first second and third positions, respectively Rs.5000, Rs.3000 and Rs.2000
In the Bullock Cart Race event the jockey is not allowed to torture or hit his bulls but only can shout to make them run faster. This is the flagship event of the Rural Olympics and attracts crowd in huge numbers. Jockey trains each of his bullocks daily for years so they can triumph at the games. A winner bullock at the games cost around $15000. These games are no less expensive than Olympics I doubt.
Images from these Games can tell things more than I can describe and here are few of them for your pleasure and viewing delight.
You also can read more about this at Rural Olympics, Kila Raipur Games and at Ohmynews.
Copyrights reserved with respected owners. Image Courtesy Ohmynews and © 2007 Munish Nagar. 
Text work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License. All rights reserved with 20 box. © 2007 20 box.
I have never been to Punjab but have seen enough of movies to imagine how it feels or you sense when you are in a Punjabi village. Dull green and yellow maize farms and hand pumps, intoxicating aroma of the motherland and patriotic spirit of Punjab. And most amazing are the people of Punjab. Healthy, strong and beautiful Punjabis never they shy to flex their wrists. When I look around me at the people of Gujarat and meditate over I understand why this Olympics are possible in the village of Punjab only and not in Gujarat or any other state in India.
In his book history of Satyagraha in South Africa, Mohandas Gandhi cried much about the health and physique of Indian workers and black workers and how it differs so visibly even when they are on the same diet and living under same circumstances for years. He said that even cattle in Africa looks much healthier than cattle here in India. I think poor Mahatma was never been to the healthy state of Punjab before he visited and settled in South Africa for years.
Dancing horse display, tent pegging and horse show, para gliding, dog races, loading and unloading tractor trolley, track and field events, cycle races, hockey, tug-of-war, kabaddi and tug-of-war are the major events at this Rural Olympics but the most exciting and thrilling of them all is the Bullock cart race. And price money involved in these games make them even more exciting for the participants. Cash prizes were offered to the athletes who obtain first second and third positions, respectively Rs.5000, Rs.3000 and Rs.2000
In the Bullock Cart Race event the jockey is not allowed to torture or hit his bulls but only can shout to make them run faster. This is the flagship event of the Rural Olympics and attracts crowd in huge numbers. Jockey trains each of his bullocks daily for years so they can triumph at the games. A winner bullock at the games cost around $15000. These games are no less expensive than Olympics I doubt.
Images from these Games can tell things more than I can describe and here are few of them for your pleasure and viewing delight.
You also can read more about this at Rural Olympics, Kila Raipur Games and at Ohmynews.
Copyrights reserved with respected owners. Image Courtesy Ohmynews and
Text work is licensed under a Creative CommonsAttribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License. All rights reserved with 20 box. © 2007 20 box.
I was unaware of the event, media of this country hopeless and childish, as they cannot help talking and writing about cricket. such wonderful event must be adequately covered, highlighted and promoted in every possible way so that we can at least overlook lazy cricket game and ignore fallen or disgraced stars of cricket.
ReplyDeletebhaiya lazyguru i wud like if u contact me on my new mobile number that is 9920486843....
ReplyDeletewaiting for ur call
finally some activity, i hope i am not the only guy left on earth with this computer...
ReplyDeletebeing a lazy man i am not against cricket, it is one beautiful time killing game, especially test cricket but still i think there are few things we can do about other sports in India. no doubt why Punjab has produced so many Olympic champions .
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Rural Olympics!!! Cricket is a wonderful game, especially test cricket. The problem is that we don't have sports culture in our country. But there is no point in debating all that nonsense in this wonderful blog.
ReplyDelete