The city of Pamplona in Spain is popular for the "running of the bulls" or "El Encierro" as the local people pronounce it. People from all over the world come here to witness this amazing and famous tradition, which is held during the festival of "San Fermin." The festival is named after St. Fermin who was the first bishop of Pamplona. This colorful festival offers amateur bullfights, as people and bulls race through the streets to reach the bullring. The festival begins on the 6th of July every year. The running of bulls takes place every morning between the 7th and 14th of July. The festival starts with men singing songs to seek blessings and guidance of their saint. The actual running starts in a fast and furious manner, going through the marked areas of the streets. The entire distance is around 825 meters. "Encierro" means the local surroundings in which the bulls are enclosed and chased. The indication of the first rocket means that the gates where these bulls are held have been opened. The second rocket announces that these bulls are on their way. Then these bulls are driven through the marked streets as men try to move out of their way and skillfully try to lead them to the ring. The whole stage is set to display a contest between man and bull to display their courage, boldness, dexterity and bravery. But these days people are finding it difficult to trick the bull and pile on it to bring the bull down because the crowd is getting bigger and bigger with each passing year. Traditionally the longest portion of the marked way is at Calle Estafeta, which ends up at a narrower lane called Calle Duque de Ahumada (also known as the Telefonica stretch.) The last part is the Bull Ring. The third rocket indicates that the bulls are back in their arena and the run is over. All these things happen in the dramatic period of JUST THREE MINUTES.
People still get injured despite the presence of guards and first-aid assistance. Boys who are below the age of 18 are not meant for this run. They are not even allowed to enter. The things that are strictly forbidden are: - Placing oneself in the wrong place
- Breaking the barrier
- Not listening to the instructions of the guards
- Drinking or taking drugs
- Taking photographs from wrong places
- Wearing wrong clothes
The population almost reaches 2.5 million in the city as compared to just 100,000, indicating the immense popularity of the game. The history of "Bull Running" is not clear. There are some evidences that it must have started far back in the 13th century after coinciding with the festival of San Fermin on October 10th. It seems that the celebrations that are held these days have evolved from San Fermin as well as some individual commercials and bullfighting fiestas that can be traced long back to the 14th century drama.
SO GO AND ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL TRADITION OF EL ENCIERRO!
BUT BE VERY CAREFUL... |
