Twenty-eight pairs of bulls will be taking to the arenas during the annual bullfighting festival on Maghi Sakranti, first day of the Nepali month of Magh (January 14) at two venues in Nuwakot district.

At a press meet in the Capital, Chairperson of the Rasuwa-Nuwakot Tourism Society Balaram Neupane announced that 18 pairs of bulls will be competing in Taruka and 10 in Betrabati. A nine-member organising committee was formed on December 25 to oversee preparations for the annual event, he said.

The bullfighting in Nuwakot has gained popularity in the recent years, drawing more people from outside the district and even some foreigners to the festival.

Deepak Shakya, the coordinator of the festival, said the committee had already picked the bulls for the festival. “The bulls have been selected on the basis of their length, height, age and physical fitness,” said Shakya.

He also said that if a bull dies during a fight, the organising committee will pay Rs30,000 in compensation and Rs10,000 in the event of injuries.

Bishnu Taruka, who is looking after the publicity department of the committee, said the growing interest among people towards the event is vital for promoting domestic tourism in Nuwakot. “We are focused on attracting more visitors, including foreigners to this festival,” said Taruka.

Along with the festival, visitors can purchase the local products, meanwhile the programme will also feature the cultural shows.

The event also has the patronage of the Nepal Tourism Board. Sudhan Subedi, senior officer at the board says they have been working on the promotional campaign of the event for the past few years.

“This is a century-old culture which is distinct from the bull fight in Spain. So, our aim is to attract foreigners to witness the event,” he said.

The annual festival has been observed in Taruka for over 200 years.

The event is believed to have been instituted during the time of King Prithvi Bahadur Singh, the ruler of the ancient kingdom of Bajhang.

Hundreds of people from Dhading, Rasuwa, Kathmandu, Lamjung, Tanahun and Chitwan throng Nuwakot each year to observer the festival.

In a bid to attract a bigger crowd, the Village Tourism Forum has offered a two-day package during the festival. More than five dozen people have already made confirmation, according to Gagan Raj Neupane of the forum.