The Sankranthi cockfights in Andhra Pradesh are quite popular among everyone belonging to the Telugu states. These fights take place in huge gatherings, and people from everywhere participate or at least turn up to watch these fights without fail.
This year too, despite the many curbs that the government of Andhra Pradesh put in place, the cockfights remained unstoppable, especially in the West Godavari district. Villages such as Yelurupadu, Kallakuru, Kalla, Seesali, Thaderu and Vempa, among several others, have tents and rings established for the purpose of these fights, on a very grand scale.
Vempa hosted one of the largest cockfights, with a huge tent and even LED screens so that everyone who was present at the event would get a look at the fight. Not everyone will get a look at the fight since the people standing in front would block the view of those behind them. People from as far as Hyderabad had also turned up to watch the cockfights in Vempa. The event was held so grandly that there were several stalls put up, selling biryani and many other things, so that the visitors could eat and enjoy the event. The visitors were also advised to be careful of their belongings, as 2 thieves were reportedly spotted at the event.
Midway through the event, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Denduluru MLA, Chintamaneni Prabhakar had a fallout with the organisers about something, after which he walked out of the venue angrily. Following his exit, all the cockfights came to an end, to the dismay of many visitors who couldn’t get a proper look at.
While the entire event turned out to be a spectacular eye feast for everyone, there wasn’t the slightest trace of the Police department anywhere near the event. In Kalla Village, the cockfights tent was set up at a very close proximity to the Police station, but no one interfered with the cockfights.
Interestingly, despite the bird flu spreading across many villages in India, and many birds dying because of it, all of these villages still managed to conduct and make these cockfights a grand success.