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MANGALORE: The historic Kadri Sri Manjunateshwara Devara Kambala at Kadri, held since more than 100 years, will soon be history.

Following the settlement of a property dispute, the length of the paddy field where Kambala used to take place in the heart of the city has been drastically reduced which would make the holding of this popular event an uncertainty.

A person who is closely associated with the two-acre property, said: "Nearly half an acre is lost in the settlement process and thus the length of the field is not sufficient to hold the Kambala."

The half an acre plot of the two acres which has been separated as settlement is being filled with earth. However, the source said that the rest of the land would remain as it is - agricultural --- where paddy would be grown as usual and may also be used as a practical training ground for students interested in agriculture or related activities.

Though the buffaloes may cease to race on this 1.5 acre property due to length restrictions, the rest of the activities which were taking place during the annual Kambala would take place, the source confirmed. The Kambala earlier included competitions like Kesura gadde ota (wetland race), tug-of-war, ’Tappangai’, which used to commence prior to the commencement of the main Kambala race involving racing buffaloes.

The person associated with the property said: "Probably there will be a hue and cry about the stopping of Kambala at Kadri, since it was a much publicised event and the only one in the city. But people tend to forget that there were more than 500 kambalas being held in these coastal districts, including Kasargod, and 90% of them have ceased to exist and there is not even a whimper about it."

The traditional Kadri Kambala has seen the highest number of buffalo pairs, 18, running the race individually at one time and last year 17 pairs took part in the race. In other kambalas being held elsewhere in the district, it is commercialised and more than 100 pairs of buffaloes take part