While many celebrated the festival of Bail Pola or worshipping of cattle with much grandeur, hospitals staffers had their hands full with cases of assaults over the festival pouring in.

At YCM hospital, doctors saw 25-odd patients who had been injured in fights over the decoration of their bulls. "Every year they fight over whose bull looks better. In their drunken stupor they attack each other," said the medical officer. Two patients were also attacked with a sickle.

"We have had three to four cases in the past two hours because of the festival," said the on-duty officer at Sassoon hospital.