Pipalchhap ground in ward 6 of Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality of Gorkha district was filled to capacity on Tuesday as hundreds gathered to witness the much-anticipated bullfighting competition on the occasion of Maghe Sankranti.

Farmers hurriedly moved their bulls into the arena, preparing for the competition. Ek Narayan Shrestha, a farmer from ward 6 of the rural municipality, was getting his bull, ‘Tilke,’ ready for the fight after five months of feeding it a ‘special diet’ of husks and flour to build strength.

“I’ve come to show my bull to the people here; it’s a great opportunity to see the bulls fight,” he said. “The excitement of watching bulls fight is unmatched.”

Shrestha said that preparations for the competition begin well in advance, with farmers conditioning their bulls using husks and flour. “We’ve made them,” he said.

Nine bulls competed in the event on Tuesday. One such observer, Ran Bahadur Thapa, shared his experience, explaining how he could tell which bull was stronger. “The breed of the bull matters, but it’s the bull’s strength and determination that decides the fight,” he said.

The competition divided bulls into grades of ‘A’ and ‘B’.

In the ‘A’ grade category, bulls from Tulsi Dhakal of Gorkha’s Phujel and Anish Pariyar of Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality of Dhaidng fought. Anish’s bull emerged as the winner in the competition.