Picchi and Marudan make their way to the bull-taming contest at the Chellaiyi festival at Periyapatti to redeem both memory and fear. They have a past to overcome. The local zameendar fields his unconquerable animal and against all odds, Picchi jumps into the arena. As the Kaari turns to face him and Chellappas outstanding Tamil classic unfolds, the ground shakes and the page trembles. Picchis grip on the bull is just a breath behind the authors grip on our imagination as the sport of jallikattu spins the reader in and out of the arena. Vaadivaasal, a masterful account of power relations, describes the traditional rituals of bull-taming and captures the life-and- death struggle between animal and man.